The Moth and the Butterfly
by GEARSGirl5400
Summary: A teammate, a family banishment, and an old enemy finally bring two souls closer than ever before. But will that be enough?
1. Chapter 1

The first week of spring rolled by as the early morning was greeted with a light shower. In the midst of it, a figure stood amongst a garden, hooded and covered from head to toe. Through shaded glasses, the shinobi took in the beauty of spring. Soon, the budded flowers will bloom, and the Aburame garden would become a paradise of vibrant colors to the insects.

That was not the _only _wonder that took place in the garden. Shino smiled contently as he recalled how the air became scented with every flower that bloomed. With their scent came a variety of equally vibrant insects that were not part of the clan's ninja bugs. Bees, ladybugs, and most important of all, butterflies.

Those were his favorite.

Butterflies were what sparked life into his midnight black eyes. They were the innocence of the world: shy and naïve as a young child and just as delicate, yet replete with beauty and grace. He smiled. No doubt they also symbolized the sheepish, yet strong kunoichi that had been a comrade to him since the very beginning, who now embedded herself in his thoughts and dreams.

_Hinata Hyuuga. _

Such a lovely creature, she was. From the moment they were placed together on the same team, no, from the very moment he laid eyes upon her in the playground back at the Academy, Shino thought of her as a wonder. Sweet as a dove to even the most arrogant fool, her gentle, lavender eyes held no ill will towards anyone. She was beautiful from the inside out. _A beauty matched by no other._

Despite all the clear reasons for him to go forth and claim her as his own, he lacked the courage and knowledge to do so. Aburame men were at the bottom of the list of suitors due to the clan's unusual rituals and techniques and not many women set well with having a husband, or boyfriend, who had a living, breathing hive of insects inside their body.

Shino decided long ago that it was a matter not worth inquiring his father about. Aburame men were expected to have their emotions in check, and beating themselves senseless over the possibility they could be alone until death because of their hive drove many of his family members over the edge. It was a painful thought, but it was much more painful once you fell in love. The thought of Hinata belonging to another man always proved many times to be too much for him to bear.

That thought was frequent in his mind. He knew her eyes as well as her heart chose another. His fists clenched tightly inside his coat pockets. Oh, how he envied him. The oblivious, blonde blockhead did not deserve her attention. He did not deserve her at all, but trying to speak to her was easier said than done. Either he was too rough in speech or his throat would lock up and leave him speechless.

Oh, who was he kidding? Like Hinata would choose him over _Naruto. _Shino felt an invisible hand tug painfully at his heart. It hurt. But it could not be helped. He was an Aburame, after all, and such emotions were best kept locked away.

But Shino could not help but be both bothered and thankful that Naruto was blind enough to not notice Hinata. Bothered because he could not understand why her genuine beauty did not lock Naruto in place as it did to him. Thankful because he did not want him, or any other man for that matter, eyeing _her. _

"You know, standing in the rain won't make the skies clear up any faster." A deep voice called out to him, shaking him from his train of thought.

Shino turned to see his father, Shibi Aburame, leaning against the trunk of the huge magnolia tree at the center of the Aburame garden. Shino smiled behind his upturned collar.

"Who said I wanted the skies to clear?" asked the stoic shinobi as he walked towards his father. "It's soothing weather."

"Agreed." His father nodded as he was joined by his son by the tree.

"I didn't know you were to come back this early from your mission." Shino began.

"Neither did I." Shibi replied with a chuckle. "Fortunately, the mission was to interrogate an uncooperative prisoner. It doesn't take long when you find out your captive is deathly afraid of insects."

Shino could hear the amusement in his father's voice. It was a rare thing, seeing his father in such good humor, but at this time, it just brought more pain. _Fear_. It was all he was ever going to get from a person. Fear, disgust, resentment.

_We don't resent you, Shino…_ hummed his kikaichu in attempt to soothe their master. _She doesn't resent or fear you either!_

Shino rolled his eyes, though they had a point. The kikaichu had always been there for him even when no one else was. When his teammates, Kiba and Hinata, came into the picture, he did not feel the dreadful loneliness, especially how they, too, were outcasts. They were the only people his age that did not step away from him as he walked by, or give him looks of disgust if he came too close.

"Forgive me, father, but I must go." Shino announced, "It's almost time."

Shibi looked at his son, his eyes dancing with joy behind the dark, trademark glasses of the Aburame. Years after the definite end of the Fourth Shinobi World War, Team 8 had become very tightly knit, even more so than before. Somewhere along, they agreed to meet every day before dawn at the Third Training Grounds. That among other activities. He was glad his son found such good friends and gave him a friendly shove.

"Go." He stated with a smile, "I am well aware of your routine, Shino. No need to excuse yourself."

Shino nodded and set off. It wouldn't take him long to get to the training grounds, considering that the Aburame compound was closer to the training grounds than to the village itself. He reached the grounds at record time, and waited patiently for the rest of his team.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun's rays kissed the tears of the dark blue sky until it blushed with the pink streaks of the clear morning. Kiba paced back and forth in front of one of the trees of the training grounds. Shino, on the other hand, leaned against the tree itself with Akamaru, who whined with worry.

"Where is she?" Kiba asked, impatiently. "It's not like her to be late."

"Patience, Kiba." Shino replied. "I am sure there is a perfectly good reason for her to be late."

"I know, but it's just not like her to be late." Kiba stopped his pacing and raced his hand through his spiky, brown hair. "If anything, she'd be the one here early."

"Agreed." Shino knew something was off when he arrived at the grounds and didn't see the dark-haired beauty already training by her lonesome. She was always the first one to arrive. "But you cannot get worked up because she is late. Why? Because you're late all the time."

Kiba smiled wolfishly and scratched his head with a blush. "Well…yeah…but it's expected from me. Not from Hinata."

Shino nodded understandingly. "Regardless, we shall be as patient for her as we are with you."

Kiba looked at him and returned a nod. "Right."

An hour passed on with a crawl. Akamaru soon perked up and barked happily as Hinata's delicate silhouette finally showed. The two boys snapped their heads as soon as her soft voice rippled through the air.

"I-I'm so terribly sorry!" she panted. Hinata ran to them, taking in huge gulps of air. Her forehead was covered in a light sheet of sweat and her visible skin was flushed.

"Gee, Hinata, I never knew someone could beat me at being late." Kiba asked as he, Shino, and Akamaru approached.

Hinata nodded. She was still too busy catching her breath. Without a warning, her knees collapsed under her. The boys and Akamaru flinched as her delicate body fell with a small thud in front of them.

"Are you alright?" Kiba asked, putting a hand on Hinata's shoulder.

Shino flinched at the sudden contact between the two and inwardly hissed.

"I-I'm…I'm fine." Hinata breathed.

"What happened?" Shino asked, kneeling down to their level.

"I….I…" Hinata's face flushed into the next level of pink. It was then that Shino realized he may have asked a bit too harshly.

"Hinata," Shino began with a moderate tone, "It is completely alright if you were just running late."

"Yeah." Kiba piped in, "We won't be mad at you."

Hinata looked up at his two teammates through shy, lavender eyes. Both Shino and Kiba's senses stood at attention at her eyes. They were red and puffy, and her cheeks were stained with tears. There was definitely something wrong with her. Akamaru whined as he rested his big, furry head on Hinata's lap. Noticing their blank expressions, Hinata turned from pink to red as she lowered her head.

"Hinata?"

As her breathing calmed, she nodded again. "I'm fine… D-don't worry ab-out me."

Akamaru stood up as Hinata began to move. He wagged his tail as Hinata took a deep breath and stood, followed by her two teammates.

"R-ready?" she asked, softly.

Kiba snickered as he gave Shino a push towards her. Shino stumbled forward and glared back at him. He shrugged and whistled innocently.

"Don't look so surprised, bug boy. It's your day today, remember?" Kiba stated with a grin.

True, it was his turn today, but he didn't have to shove. Shino exhaled sharply at him as he straightened up his posture and nodded at Hinata. Hinata nodded as well as she followed him to the center of the field. There, they took their stances. Then, they began.

As they fought, Shino noticed something was missing. The strength of her attacks seemed off, even though she kept up with him. Dodging a swing of her Gentle Fist to his face, he realized that her Byakugan was not activated.

_That's odd…_

He knew she always activated it before sparring. Something was wrong. As the sparring continued, he noticed various other fallacies in her movements. Though she moved at the same speed he did, her attacks and reaction time seemed to be delayed somehow, as if she was yet again unsure of herself. He also noticed that her chakra was faltering ever so slightly.

These observations drew Shino to two conclusions:

One: Her father must have kept her up all night with the Senbon Sparring ritual.

Or

Two: Something must've happened to Hinata, and the person taking her form was doing a terrible job at impersonating her.

The latter was difficult to handle. If the person in front of him was imitating Hinata, then he had to find a way to get him or her to lose enough control of their chakra to where the jutsu itself will falter and reveal the person's true form without letting them know that he knew.

_"No, that's not it." _Shino inwardly shook his head as he blocked another one of Hinata's blows.

If that was the case, then Kiba and Akamaru would have detected the scent. They all had Hinata's scent implanted in their noses and their brains, so even the slightest change wouldn't had gone unnoticed. Shino suddenly snapped to attention the moment he heard Hinata whimper painfully. He managed to catch her in his arms before her body fell to the ground.

…

_Hinata?_

_Hinata!_

Hinata groaned slightly as her eyes fluttered open to see Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru looking down at her. Her face automatically went from rich cream to red velvet.

"Hinata, are you alright?" Shino asked.

"I-I'm fine…" Hinata replied while Akamaru pressed his wet nose against her cheek and whimpered.

Shino and Kiba helped her sit up. As soon as her posture straightened, she slumped and held her head in her hands.

"You sure you're okay, Hinata? You haven't acted like yourself at all today." Kiba stated.

Hinata looked at him and nodded. "Y-yes, I am alright. I just…didn't g-get much sleep last night…"

Just as Shino had expected.

"You could have said something, Hinata." Shino spoke, "We can always practice some other time."

Hinata looked at him, her soft eyes gleaming with unshed tears. From that, Shino could tell that it was about her father. Hiashi never seemed to give her a break. Even though she was his eldest daughter, she had to work thrice as hard as anyone in her clan. And that was just for his approval. Shino stared and her bright eyes, his throat tightening. God, how he hated seeing her this way.

"P-please no…" she pleaded. "I-I can handle it…R-Really, I can."

"We know you can, Hinata, but straining yourself is never good." Kiba replied. "I mean, sure, practice makes perfect, but if you don't rest, it'll hurt more than what it'll help."

"I agree with Kiba." Shino added, "Excessive training will wear you out quicker than you think."

Hinata nodded and bowed her head. "I-I'm t-terribly s-sorry for wasting yo-your time." She apologized.

Kiba sighed. He could never understand why she always blamed things on herself. Though he pondered deeply over the why of the situation, he did not miss the sight that lay before him: Hinata wrapped around Shino's arms. Shino shook her gently to stop her thread of apologies.

"You're never a waste of time, Hinata." Shino said softly.

Both Kiba and Hinata looked at Shino with different expressions. Hinata with a gentle smile. Kiba with the biggest, wolfish grin he could pull.

"Thank you, Shino…" Hinata replied, smiling shyly.

Shino could feel the blush flare through his face, his kikaichu humming excitedly. Thankfully, they couldn't see his blush, nor could they hear the humming under his skin.

"Oh, sure, don't mind me." Kiba piped up, pouting.

Both teammates looked up at him. Hinata giggled while Shino rolled his eyes. "I-I'm sorry…Th-thank you, Kiba."

"That's better." He smiled.

"Go and rest, Hinata. We'll continue tomorrow." Shino stated.

Hinata nodded. "O-okay…"

Shino and Kiba gently hauled her to her feet. When Kiba was sure she was gone, he slowly turned to Shino's tall, hooded form with a devilish grin. Shino exhaled sharply and turned.

"Drop it, Inuzuka." Shino began, his voice as cold as ice.

"Aww, look at that, Akamaru." Kiba snickered, purposely walking clumsy circles around him while Akamaru barked. "I was right, for once. Bug boy _does have_ a little crush on Hinata."

He laughed uncontrollably when Shino growled. "Ohhhh, scary! I bet my gerbil slippers just ran for cover."

"Careful, mutt." Shino seethed, "I can always fill your lungs with beetles."

Kiba shot him a look. "You wouldn't." Blast it, he knew how much he hated the smell of his bugs.

In an instant, Shino grabbed Kiba's earlobe and pulled his head close, despite his friend's protests.

"Keep your mouth shut. Do that, and I'll keep them at bay."

"Oh, come on, man, chill." Kiba said, rubbing his ear as soon as Shino released it. "I'm just trying to offer my services."

"I don't need your help. Why, you ask? Because I can handle this on my own, Kiba."

"Yeah, right." Kiba crossed his arms, "When was the last time you talked to a girl?"

Shino remained silent. When he did not respond, Kiba came closer and leaned his ear in.

"Don't worry, I'll wait."

He inched closer and closer until he heard Shino sigh in defeat. Without a word, Shino turned completely and began to walk. Kiba frowned and followed him.

"Okay, Shino, wait. It's just a little teasing, is all. I'm really trying to help you."

"If you haven't noticed, Kiba, I'm not the type to joke around."

"Alright, alright, joking aside." Kiba dismissed him and threw his arm around his shoulders. "The point is simply this: you want Hinata, but you don't know if she wants you. Right?"

When Shino didn't replied, he shook him. He groaned and mumbled.

"Right."

"Right." He looked up deep in thought. Shino looked at him.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm thinking. Can't I think?"

"You never cease to surprise me, Kiba."

"Hey, shut it, I'm doing you a favor."

Shino sighed. Why, oh why, was it always him? He waited helplessly while Kiba rocked back and forth on his heels, waiting for an idea to kick in. Akamaru sat looking up at his master, wagging his tail. After what seemed like forever, Kiba's eyes lit up with excitement.

"That's it!" he barked, "Konoha's Hanabira Festival!"


	3. Chapter 3

Hinata walked towards the Hyuuga compound in complete exhaustion. The afternoon, evening, and most of the night the day before was spent inside the Hyuuga training grounds, sparring with her family. The Senbon Sparring was a difficult training ritual exclusive to the Hyuuga clan, where it required nearly a thousand or more spars for it to be completed. Hinata knew this was her chance to prove to her father that she was worth to be a Hyuuga. That she was worthy to have his praise, as well as everyone else. For Hanabi… For Neji…She vowed to be strong.

She was so confident she could exceed the mark, but she fell short. At 800, she was too worn out to keep her Gentle Fist stance. Hinata could still see the disappointment in her father's cold eyes when she could not even force herself to stand.

* * *

><p><em>"Stand up, Hinata!" demanded Hiashi, but the exhaustion was so great that Hinata's Byakugan deactivated itself.<em>

_"Father, please…" pleaded Hanabi, "She's exhausted."_

_"When I wish for your observation, Hanabi, I will ask for it!" Hiashi seethed._

_"Though it was as expected from Hinata," began the Hyuuga elder, "She did manage to go all the way to her 800__th__ opponent in the sparring match on her first try."_

_"That is not good enough!" Hiashi's voice boomed, startling many. "You expect me to accept this from my eldest daughter, when Hanabi is five years her junior and was able to complete the ritual in record time?!"_

_"Calm yourself, Hiashi." The Hyuuga elder countered, with colder eyes. "I am sure my granddaughter is more than capable, if you would just give her another-"_

_"Her chance was given to her. She has failed, yet again. I tire of wasting my time when I know she has gotten no better."_

_"That's not true, father!" Hanabi broke in, startled at her own boldness. But she knew his verbal and emotional abuse against Hinata could go on no longer. "She has gotten stronger! More confident, even. She has protected this village as well as our very lives without ever thinking twice of her own. Father, please, she's try-"_

_"Enough!" _

_Hanabi looked up at her father with strained eyes as well as the rest of her family members. Hiashi looked dead ahead at Hinata, who was being helped on to her feet by her cousin. _

_"Leave her." He commanded._

_The poor boy flinched at his tone and whispered an apology to Hinata as he gently put her back on the ground. Hiashi's eyes did not deter from their target._

_"If she is as strong as you all think she is, then she can manage to stand up on her own."_

_All eyes were on her now, as she slowly, but surely brought herself up to her feet. Her cousin, a tall, lanky boy from one of the side branches, looked uncertain. He definitely did not want to harm her, but he knew that it had to be done._

_"Continue." Ordered Hiashi._

_Hinata brought herself to charge at her cousin, continuing their spar. Unfortunately for her, her legs buckled again in the middle of her attack, leaving her immobile while her cousin delivered the finishing blow to her jaw. _

_Hinata's body flew across and out of the fighting mat and remained motionless. Her cousin and sister rushed to her aid when they heard Hiashi scoff. The last thing she heard before her consciousness slipped was her father's icy voice._

_"Just as expected. This session is over. Hanabi, let's go."_

Hinata felt the tears flow. Exhaustion, depression, disappointment, loss. All of those feelings and more were tugging her heart in all directions. It hurt. Being rejected by your own kin hurt more than what she could handle.

_Why did you have to go, Neji?_

Up until the Fourth Shinobi World War, Neji was no longer resenting her. On the contrary, he and her sister Hanabi were the only ones that would openly acknowledge her at home.

_"Hiashi is a difficult man to deal with, Hinata." Neji had told her, "He is blind towards family unity, whereas you and I have opened our eyes to the idea. He cares not for the weak or impotent of the family. All that lies there is power. Pay no mind to him. You are a strong kunoichi, and I will always treat you as such."_

But he was gone, now. The war had taken his life, along with many others. The tears flowed with no restrictions now. Oh, how she missed him. He had changed so much since their match at the Chuunin Exams, his cold persona changing to that of a compassionate shinobi. He gave up his life to save her and her friends. She saw the lavender eyes of the Hyuuga etch her memory with the gentle warmth of a mother, yet full of the protective nature of a father as he breathed his last breath.

She collapsed in the middle of the forest, her chest choked with sobs. She missed him dearly, but she knew she couldn't do this. She could not continue her grieving. That would not honor his memory at all. Hinata wiped away her tears and proceeded to look at her hands.

_I won't run… I won't run away anymore. _

With determination setting in her eyes, she stood back on her feet and walked to her home. She was officially done with being the Hyuuga doormat. The sudden breeze rustled her hair in gentle waves, sending shivers down her spine, but she could have sworn she heard Neji's voice as she continued down the path.

_I will always be with you, Hinata. But I cannot be brave for you. That is something you have to do for yourself._

* * *

><p>Shino looked at his companion. Of course. In the midst of dealing with Kiba, he had almost forgotten that the Festival always took place in the middle of Spring, and that was quickly approaching.<p>

"You can ask Hinata if she would be your date to go to the Festival." Kiba said, wholeheartedly.

Shino looked at him with a monotone expression.

"You honestly expect her to agree?"

"Why not?"

Irritation seeped in, but he repressed it. Surely he could not be that oblivious to his situation, they had talked about this before. Kiba seemed to notice and frowned.

"You honestly believe she cares that you're infested with insects?"

"Why should I not?"

Kiba narrowed his eyes.

"Kiba, I appreciate your obligation to help me." Shino continued, "But I will have to decline. Why? Because I rather save you the trouble. She won't pick me over him." As he walked away, he sighed softly to himself. _I wouldn't pick me._

Kiba watched as Shino's hooded silhouette disappeared in the shades of the trees. Akamaru whined with worry and looked up at his master.

"You're right, Akamaru. It's worse than I thought." Kiba responded, running a hand through his hair.

He knew his stoic teammate had feelings for Hinata, but it pissed him off how he would not say anything. Likewise, Hinata pissed him off in the way that she chased after someone who didn't so much as acknowledge her feelings, much less return them. Walking to his home, he nonchalantly shook the thoughts away. Kiba had to find out how to bring the two together. He hated doing things behind their backs, but he saw a great need for it.

Kiba was tired of seeing his comrades in a miserable state because of one thing or another, knowing that the two could comfort themselves. Being the good and loyal friend that he was to both of his teammates, he saw it as his duty to bring them together, even if it meant turning into a therapist.

"Come on, Akamaru, we have work to do!" Kiba grinned.

Akamaru hopped, barking in agreement, and followed Kiba to their home. There was much to do before the Festival arrived.

The two made their way to the Inuzuka House, where they were greeted with a shout from Kiba's mother, Tsume.

"How many times must I tell you not to run inside!?" she asked.

"Sorry, Ma." Kiba apologized, in sync with Akamaru's frightened whine. "Have you seen Hana? I need to speak to her."

Tsume pointed a wooden spoon towards the back door. "She's outside getting some herbs."

"Great, thanks!" Kiba ran towards the back door, despite his mother's growl.

"Sis!" Kiba shouted, "Where are you?"

"Over here, Mr. Bigmouth." Called Hana. She was kneeled over a patch of rosemary, carefully picking the herb and putting it inside a pouch. "What do you want? I'm busy."

"Yeah, well too bad. I need your help." Kiba stood next to her as she finished picking the herbs she needed.

Soothingly patting Akamaru's head, Hana stood up. "What is it?"

Kiba sported the toothiest grin he could muster. "I have a bit of a dilemma." He began, "And it's a long story, so hurry and finish up with Ma and meet me in the orchard."

Hana placed her hand on her hip. "This isn't one of your pranks again, is it?"

Kiba laughed, "Hardly. No, it's actually a very serious matter."

Hana rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll meet you there."

"Great!" Kiba watched as her sister walked back to the house. He then turned and made his way towards the orchard with a confident stride. _With her help, this'll be a piece of cake!_

* * *

><p>Hinata took her time getting home. The determination to let her father know she was improving was there, but the second her father's figure popped in mind, she could not help but hide. So, she made a turn from the main path and found herself in the Yamanaka flower shop. The moment she entered, she was greeted with Ino's bright, cheery voice.<p>

"Hinata!" she exclaimed, "Fancy seeing you here. What can I get for you?"

"O-oh, n-nothing, I just wanted...I just wanted to talk." Hinata replied.

The blonde kunoichi cocked an eyebrow. "Talk? Well, go ahead." she smiled, "I'm not busy at the moment."

"W-well..."

This was unsual for Hinata. She never wanted to bother people with her problems, but this time, she needed help.

"I.. I just..wanted to ask... H-how can I... y-you know... make my f-father understand that...that I have improved?"

Ino blinked. That was an unusual request. Hinata never asked for advice because she did not want bother others with her problems. Ino leaned in closer to her.

"Is he putting you down again?" she asked.

Hinata looked at her bright blue eyes and lowered her head. She nodded. Ino huffed.

"Ugh, why can't that old goat give it a rest? He's still at it, even after you were given praise for defending the village?!"

Hinata frowned. It was true: she, as well as Ino and various other shinobi and kunoichi, put their lives on the line to make sure the village was safe during the War. Lady Tsunade had even awarded each and every one of them with honors that would make anyone's grandfather proud. But not Hiashi. He was harder on her than on anyone else, but Hinata could never find out why.

"Well," Ino said, breaking Hinata's thoughts, "Don't listen to him. Trust me, girl, you're worth your weight in gold. If he's not happy with your accomplishments, then he can deal with it. Don't beat yourself over that."

Hinata smiled gently at her. She needed to learn to stop beating herself down just because she was never in her father's approval. Ino smiled back and went to the backroom of the store. She came back with a small bouquet of lime yellow flowers in her hand.

"Here." Ino offered them to Hinata. She laughed when Hinata eyed her in confusion. "Just take it."

Hinata took the fennel. She was way beyond confused, but saw the sparkle in Ino's eyes.

"Those are wild fennel flowers." Ino explained, "Many people don't realize that fennel, whether still bearing flowers or fully developed, has a significant meaning, other than being a good cooking vegetable. The flowers symbolize strength and worthiness of all praise." She smiled at Hinata's awed expression.

"Th-thank you, Ino." Hinata smiled sweetly.

Ino nodded. "Remember. You're worth your weight in gold."

The two girls looked up as the sound of rain fell upon them.

"I-I b-better get going." Hinata announced. "Thank you.."

"You're very welcome, Hinata. Bye!"

Hinata waved as she walked out of the store. The rain was refreshing, and it managed to calm her jumpy nerves. Good. Her courage bumped up again as she quickly headed to her home. She entered with a sense of confidence she had never had before. Her clothes dampened with water, but she did not mind. Though, she soon noticed that it was very quiet. Too quiet. It was unusual to see the Hyuuga manor in such a silent state. Sure, they were naturally quiet natured, but she would have at least expected to hear the servants chatting away. She walked further in to see her father and sister sitting in the living room. Hanabi was surprised to see her walk in. Hinata rarely ever came home before sundown. Her father, however, was emotionless as usual.

"Hinata." Hanabi began, "You're home early."

"Y-yes." Hinata replied, but she could not bring herself to say that it was because of her. She knew it would be disastrous if they knew. "Th-the boys were c-called h-home. Th-their families are pr-preparing for the Festival."

"Oh, of course." Hanabi smiled, "I forgot the festival will take place in a few more weeks."

Hinata nodded and inwardly sighed in relief. "Wh-why is it so...quiet?"

Hiashi stood, causing both of his daughters to cast their eyes at him.

"Hinata, you've been nothing but endless disappointment since I allowed you to take part in the Hyuuga rituals." he began, eyes cold as lifeless icebergs.

Hinata froze. _No..._

"You're a disgrace to the Hyuuga name."

Hinata's lower lip quivered as her eyes welled up with tears. Her confidence had left as soon as it came. Hanabi looked at her father.

"Father..."

"Quiet." Hiashi snapped, "I tire of you standing up for her." He turned back to Hinata, "You've given me no choice, Hinata."

Hanabi's eyes widened. "Father, no!"

_"You are no longer part of the Hyuuga Clan."_


	4. Chapter 4

Shino finally laid on his bed, his arms and legs spread out. When he came home, the hectic tick-tock of the family clock began as he, his father, and his aunt and uncle went about with the preparations for the spring. It was clan tradition to welcome Nature's many blessings throughout the year. This year was extremely special. It was the first time in many years that the Hanabira Festival took place before the gardens throughout the compound bloomed.

Most of the arrangements were close to finished, which was perfect timing for Shino to head to his room and be alone with his thoughts. He almost felt bad. His aunt and uncle could barely find time to come and visit because of their Jounin positions with his father and the endless wave of missions that had them gone for days, even weeks, so it was great seeing them together at home. But he had not been in the mood for warm, family time.

He looked up at the skylight. Heavy rain clouds were smothering the sun's rays. Perfect. He always loved rainy days. It was as if Nature held you in her arms and washed all your worries away. And he needed that more than anything right now. He always felt down in the slumps whenever he saw Hinata upset. The moments, which were growing more and more frequent, made him feel like all the happiness in the world had vanished. But he couldn't blame her. She was dealing with a lot. She always was.

As the moments passed, his eyelids grew heavy, until he was dragged in a deep slumber.

* * *

><p><em>Shino stared with awe at the beautiful figure in front of him. Clad in a beige tank top, her mesh under armor, and her knee length shorts, she was truly stunning. Oh, how he loved rainy days. The way the droplets of water made her clothes stick to her figure, further outlining every curve, was enough to leave him completely mesmerized.<em>

_He continued to watch from afar as Hinata trained under the rain. It almost looked like she was dancing. Her body moved to an unknown rhythm as she dodged and maneuvered around her imaginary opponent. She proceeded to land her blows, yet the action resembled an intimate caress. Oh, but he knew better than that. He knew those soft, delicate hands were capable of much, much more. In an instant, she turned, as if aware of his presence. _

_He tensed at her sudden realization, and tensed even more when he looked at her eyes. They were still maintaining the warmth and kindness she gave everyone else. He loved staring into those huge, pupiless orbs. In her eyes, he truly felt like he wasn't a complete freak. He felt... Normal. His breath hitched in his throat as it tightened when he saw her smile. It was sensual but with a hint of innocence. Walking towards him, she grabbed the hem of her top and pulled it over her head._

_Shino felt his jaw slack open, his saliva turning into ash in his mouth. Every single one of his senses jumped on overdrive, and the heat that traveled to other places of his body was not helping. My, she was beautiful. Her black bra and her mesh top just barely contained her supple breasts, which in turn left much for the eye and the mind to desire. What would she really look like if he decided to tear the mesh top and the bra, with his teeth?_

_He violently shook his head. Control yourself Shino! But before he could even grasp the already slipping strings of self-control, she was inches away from his face, taking off his glasses. Hyperventilating did not even begin to describe his reactions as he froze, his face redder than an apple, and the excited hum of his kikaichu was only making things worse for him._

_"What's the matter, Shino-kun?" she asked, playfully as she gently nipped at his lower lip. "Isn't this what you wanted…?"_

_Control. What I need right now is control. Any more of this and I'll-_

_"Oh, Shino." Hinata sighed. He was panicking so much that she had already pounced on him. Shino looked up at her. Her hands trailed down her body to his own, running through every muscle. His heart was literally running a marathon at top speed. _

_"H-Hinata, please." Shino murmured, grabbing her hands and attempting to pull her away._

_"Please what, Shino-kun?" Hinata asked, huskily. Her hands had slipped from his grasp and unbuttoned his coat._

_Before he ever could realize it, she had finished unbuttoning his coat and proceeded to run her hands up and down his hard, toned chest. He needed to control himself, but he wanted her so badly. Desperately, even. _

_Damn it all to Hell..._

_He gave up on his self-controlled and closed his eyes, groaning as her soft hands trailed down from his chest to his stomach and ruffled with the buttons of his pants._

_"Shino?" Hinata whimpered as she slowly licked his lips._

_"Y-yes?" Shino breathed._

_"I…I need you, Shino." _

_With that, she reached down his pants and-_

Shino's eyes snapped open. His breath was deep and ragged, the beads of sweat covering his forehead and the back of his neck. Gulping, he propped himself up by his arms and looked around. It was early evening, but the rain clouds were so heavy that it looked like nightfall.

"Just a dream…" he murmured. Shino listened to the rain as his breathing eased down. After a moment, he laid back down and looked at the rain pelt against the skylight.

_The way this looks, it'll go on all night._

His muscles quickly tensed as he heard various footsteps approach his door. It swung open to reveal Kiba and Akamaru, fatigued and drenched from head to toe.

"Shino." Kiba gasped, "Come quick…to Kurenai-sensei's home."

He got up. "What happened?" he asked, sternly.

Kiba managed to catch his breath before he blurted out, "Hinata's father disowned her. They kicked her out of the Hyuuga clan."

_"What!?"_

* * *

><p>Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru's feet splashed loudly on the growing puddles on the roads as they ran as fast as they could to Kurenai's family home.<p>

"How do you know?" Shino asked.

"Kurenai-sensei called my mom." Kiba replied, "She said she got a call from Hinata's little sister, saying that after an argument with her dad, Hinata was kicked out."

"Did she say where she headed off to after that?"

"No. Kurenai-sensei said that she had snuck out after her dad left to attend some errands and asked everyone in town, but nobody had seen her, but she couldn't keep looking for her in the rain. If Hiashi found out she had been out when he forbade her not to, she'd probably get the same treatment."

Shino could feel his blood boiling. How could anyone treat their child in such a manner? Had Hiashi no sense of dignity left? Lightning flashed across the sky the moment they reached Kurenai's home. Kurenai answered the door.

"Thank goodness." She breathed, "Come in."

They entered. The apartment was decent-sized for two, especially how that second person was still a child.

"Any word from Hinata?" Kiba asked.

"No." Kurenai answered, worry seeping through her words, "Hanabi does not want to endanger her life."

"Her life?" Shino asked.

Kurenai looked at him. Her eyes were full of rage and panic. "She got off easy. They could have done much worse to her."

Shino and Kiba stiffened. Kiba snarled.

"The hell they will. Nobody messes with our girl."

_Our girl. _Shino couldn't had agreed more in that moment. When it came down to Hinata's well being, both shinobi were equally as concerned and were willing to do anything for her.

"We'll find her, Kurenai-sensei." Shino assured her, "Even if we have to turn the village upside down to find her."

Kurenai nodded. "The best thing to do now is to split up." she said as she pulled out a map of the village. "Shino, search through the east and west edges of the village. Kiba, search through the north and south. Akamaru, search throughout the center of the village. I don't mean to separate you two, Kiba, but we have no choice. We have to double check every area."

"No sweat, Kurenai-sensei" Kiba smiled and patted Akamaru's head, "We can deal with it."

"We need to quicken our pace." Shino said, looking out at the black, ominous clouds as lightning struck again. "A storm's brewing. We definitely don't want to get caught in it."

Kiba nodded. "We'll bring her straight here when we find her."

With that, they left and split up. Kurenai looked on as the rain poured in thick sheets.

"Please, guys.. find her." she pleaded.


	5. Chapter 5

Shino needed to find her, and fast. When the rain fell in heavier sheets, Kiba and Akamaru lost her scent completely, so he was on his own now. He needed to double search the areas that his other two teammates were assigned to. The time ticked on by, and he was hitting every single dead end. Desperation and worry were starting to set in, but Shino forced the thoughts aside. It was no time to panic. He knew she had to be in the village, unless Kurenai's fears came true and her kin had her taken away somewhere else.

_Where could she be?_

His mind suddenly clicked to a faint memory.

_"Waterfalls are very soothing." Hinata had said last summer. Surprisingly, her voice was free of her usual stutter. "I don't know why, but seeing one always washes my worries away…"_

Without a moment's hesitation, Shino ran south. He faintly recalled seeing a waterfall near the village, but it was at least five miles outside the village walls. It could not hurt to try, and as of now, it was the only chance he got. He had at least an hour left before the storm worsened.

Shino reached the waterfall as soon as the wind picked up violently. Holding his ground, he walked close to the lake's edge until he noticed a pathway that led to a small cave behind the waterfall. He reached the pathway and caught sight of Hinata.

She was soaked to the bone as she sat close to the entrance of the cave. She hugged her legs close to her chest, her head buried in her knees. Slowly, as to not startle her, Shino approached. Besides the roar of the waterfall, he heard her choked sobs. He sighed and knelt next to her.

"I'm a failure…" she whimpered. "I'll… I'll never be good at anything…"

Shino stared at her. For as long as he could remember, Hinata had always beat herself down. She was either a nuisance, a burden, or a waste of time to her father, which led her to believe those things. It had to stop, _now. _

"Hinata, look at me." Shino demanded.

Hinata buried her face deeper into her knees.

"_Hinata!" _Shino hollered.

Her delicate body jolted at her teammate's voice. He was never harsh with her. The fact that he did now just added salt to the wounds. She looked at him now, but dropped her gaze. Suddenly, the guilt set in. Why, oh why was it that he always managed to screw up? Hesitantly, Shino cupped her chin in his hand and lifted her face so that she looked at him again. He felt his heartbeat speed up, his body growing numb, but he pushed it aside. He pushed it all aside.

"Don't you dare say that you're a failure, Hinata." Shino continued softly. "Not after all the improvement you've done. Not after all the blood, sweat, and tears you've put into your training. I won't have you beating yourself down anymore, do you understand?"

Hinata looked helplessly at him. She felt the next wave of sobs kick in.

"I-I tried, Shino…" she sobbed, "I tried being strong… I-I tried convincing him I was worthy… A-and look where it got me. I'm a-all alone w-with no family…"

Shino's throat tightened. So she finally grew the courage to confront her father, and that was what he punished her with? It made him sick. His hand involuntarily stroked her cheek, wiping the tears away.

"You have us, Hinata." Shino soothed, "Kiba, Akamaru, Kurenai-sensei, and I will always be there for you. You will never be alone, I won't allow it."

Hinata stared at Shino, her lip quivering. Without warning, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face on his chest, sobbing harder than before. Shino's body froze at the sudden contact, but soon adjusted. He gently wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back before he moved his hand under her legs and picked her up.

"Come, we need to get you inside." He said as he broke into a sprint.

Despite the fact that he was running as fast as he possibly could to beat the storm, Hinata felt like she belonged, for once. She tightened her arms around his neck, not wanting to let this feeling flee her. She was sure she had never seen Shino react that way to her outbursts. But now, she was glad she did. It showed her that he really did care for her. Just like that, her father did not matter anymore. Her banishment did not matter. She had her team.

* * *

><p>Shino and Kiba waited patiently for their sensei to come out. Once Shino had stepped foot inside Kurenai's apartment with Hinata's drenched form, she flocked them and ordered that they discard their wet clothing. Shino politely declined her request, knowing that Kurenai had no clothes that fit him, nor were they appropriate for him to wear. So he and his canine lover friend stood in the kitchen with Akamaru, a water puddle steadily growing underneath them.<p>

"You guys are a mess." They heard Kurenai sigh and turned to see her at the kitchen's doorway, her hands on her hips.

"Sorry, Kurenai-sensei," Kiba grinned, "But I don't think I would want to come back home in women's clothing."

"I second that…" Shino added.

Kurenai laughed and walked towards them. "She's almost done. Now, the three of us have to discuss this." She began, "Obviously, Hinata has nowhere to go. But right now, I just don't have enough space for her. I'd hate to see her sleep on the couch until she's able to get her own place."

Shino and Kiba nodded. Kurenai was already working to support her and her baby girl. Though she knew she could give the baby's grandmother a break and have Hinata babysit when she was out doing random missions, she refused to have her sleep on the couch, much less the floor. The poor girl was going through enough.

_She can stay with me…_ Shino thought. It wasn't until he saw Kurenai's surprised expression and Kiba's grin that he realized he had actually spoken those exact thoughts. Struggling to keep himself from panicking, he continued.

"It's farther away from town, but we have plenty of room. My other family members should be arriving by next week, so at least she won't feel…completely alone."

Kurenai smiled. "That is very thoughtful of you, Shino."

Kiba's grin expanded when he noticed the tip of Shino's ears redden at his sensei's praise. Before he could make a snide comment, Hinata walked in. The boys stared. She wore one of Kurenai's old, red dresses. Red was too bold of a color for her, but it did wondrous things to her body. It accentuated all of the right places.

"Feelin' better, Hinata?" Kiba managed to say.

Hinata nodded, though the sadness remained.

"Hinata," Kurenai soothed, "Shino has agreed to let you stay at his house. Are you alright with that?"

Hinata's eyes widened a bit as she looked at him. "Y-you..y-you don't m-mind?"

"Of course not, Hinata…" Shino replied.

Her eyes then traveled to Kiba. He responded with a light laugh.

"Don't worry about me, Hinata." Kiba smiled, "Besides, you don't wanna stay at my place. You might go insane."

"You also need a break from this tension." Kurenai added, "You'll feel much better if you distance yourself from them for a little while."

Hinata nodded slowly. She really did not want to cause Shino any grief, but Kurenai was right. Maybe a while at his home wouldn't be so bad...

"W-w-well…" Hinata said with finality, "I-If it's not t-too much tr-trouble for you, Shino-kun…"

His heart fluttered at the endearment. "It's no trouble at all, Hinata..."

"Then, it's settled." Kurenai smiled. "It seemed the rain lightened up, but it's probably getting ready for its second wind. If you hurry, you guys could make it home before it really slams on."

The three nodded and said their goodbyes.

"Let me know how things go." Kiba whispered to Shino before running off with Akamaru.

Hinata waved, then looked at Shino with worried eyes. Shino looked at her and grabbed her hand without a second thought. Hinata blushed at his gesture.

"Come. We have to hurry if we want to get home before it rains again." He said.

Hinata nodded. With that, they ran off. As they ran down a familiar path, Hinata came to a sudden realization. In order to quickly reach the Aburame manor from the center of the village, they had to travel down the road that lead to the training grounds. The problem was that the Hyuuga House towered on that road. As the familiar roof came into view in the darkening streets, her body froze. Shino stopped as soon as she did.

"What's wrong?" Shino asked.

Hinata remained quiet as the wind whipped up the trees around them. He followed her gaze and noticed the Hyuuga House. He then saw a small, lithe figure standing by the gate with an umbrella, looking out into the empty street, waiting for some unknown person. It was then that Hinata reacted to the figure's presence.

"Hanabi..."


	6. Chapter 6

Hanabi looked up and sighed in relief. She quickly walked towards them, a small suitcase in hand.

"Hinata, you had me worried." She whispered as she hugged her.

Hinata embraced her sister. "What are y-you doing out here?"

"Kurenai-sensei called." Hanabi spoke, "She told me the two of you were heading this way. So, I prepared a suitcase for you. It doesn't have all of your clothes, but I managed to include what I could."

She placed the suitcase in Hinata's open arms and cautiously looked back at the compound. "Listen to me, Hinata." Hanabi spoke quickly, "Father is not well. I have noticed he has gotten very…strange."

"S-strange?" Hinata repeated.

"Yes. Hinata, don't you see?" her small features were very tense, "That day at the training room, I noticed he was not himself. He was…angrier than usual. I have reason to believe that he's not…"

"H-he's not…what, Hanabi?" Hinata asked.

Shino's brow furrowed. "Are you saying you have reason to believe that he is not who he says he is?"

Hanabi nodded. Hinata's eyes widened. _If that's true…then father-_

"I don't have much time, Hinata." Hanabi's voice urged, "If I am right, then I cannot allow him to find out where you are. Most importantly, I cannot allow him to find out I spoke to you."

Hinata looked down at her baby sister. She was risking so much for her. With a nod, Hinata gave Hanabi one last embrace.

"Read the note inside the suitcase." Hanabi whispered.

Thunder crashed ahead, soon followed by the rain.

"Now, go." Hanabi urged.

Hinata nodded and set off. Before Shino could ever follow, a small, rather soft hand grasped his. His eyes widened as he turned.

"Aburame…" Hanabi whispered, holding his hand tightly, "Shino… Take care of my sister."

Shino looked at her through dark glasses and nodded. "I will protect her with my life."

Hanabi smiled as she released Shino's hand and watched him follow Hinata's trail. Quickly, she headed back inside.

"Did she come to you, Hanabi-sama?" a soft voice asked. It was Haizo.

"Yes. I've informed them about father's behavior." She held her hands together, watching the rain intensify. "Hopefully we can solve this problem before it worsens. What about the elders? Have they found anything?"

Haizo shook his head. "No, but they know something is off. In contrast, I found something that proves that your guess was correct, Hanabi. Someone has taken Hiashi's form."

Hanabi's eyes landed on her cousin with determination. "What did you find?" she asked, the worry and fear intensifying in her mind.

Haizo handed her a folded piece of parchment.

Hanabi took the parchment paper and opened it. Her eyes widened with what she saw. The parchment was titled with the village's name and right in the middle of the paper rested three blocks circled in red. The blocks were full of names. Clan names, as well as their leaders and line of heirs.

"My God…" Hinata breathed.

Haizo stared at his young cousin. "What shall we do, Hanabi?"

Hanabi remained silent for a moment as the contents of the paper seeped in her mind. "We must warn the other clans."

Haizo nodded as he looked around uneasily. "Should we warn the rest of our clan?"

Hanabi shook her head. "No. The only ones that must know are the ones whose names are on this list. If we wish to see this through and find out what he has done to father, we must keep this secret. Otherwise, it would be disastrous."

Haizo nodded. It was already risky with the elders snooping around. If the intruder realized that they knew of their plan, they would risk the lives of everyone else in the clan unnecessarily. Even worse, they would never be able to find the real Hiashi.

"I shall go and warn the other clans." Haizo offered.

"No." Hanabi declined, "I will deal with this alone. Meanwhile, keep watching him. His activities will not go unnoticed."

Haizo opened his mouth to protest, but before he could even get the words out, Hanabi began. "Please, Haizo. He already knows you are the person least likely to leave the Compound."

"But, Hanabi-sama, I cannot allow you to go on your own." Haizo said sternly.

"Father would be displeased…" Hanabi said softly. Haizo looked at her. "He would be displeased if another Hyuuga dies without his notice. Please, Haizo, do as I say."

"How will you do this without escaping his notice?" Haizo asked her.

"The man posing as my father may have his behavior down, but he has no knowledge of my daily activities besides training. I can easily go out without him thinking it's out of the normal." She placed a hand on her cousin's shoulder. "I know you want to help, but for now, spying will do."

Haizo sighed in defeat. Reluctantly, he nodded. "As you wish…"

"Go back to bed… We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Hanabi ordered.

"Yes, Hanabi-sama." Haizo replied.

Hanabi watched him until his figure disappeared through the shadows. Lightning cracked the skies as her façade shattered, revealing not confidence, but fear. Her arms hung limply by her sides as she leaned against the wall, her lavender eyes stormy with turmoil. Hanabi's soft hand involuntarily crumpled the paper, her mind recalling the bold, red names inside the three blocks.

_Shibi Aburame, Head of the Aburame Clan_

_ Shino Aburame, Heir of the Aburame Clan_

_Choza Akimichi, Head of the Akimichi Clan_

_ Choji Akimichi, Heir of the Akimichi Clan_

_Hiashi Hyuuga, Head of the Hyuuga Clan_

_ Neji Hyuuga, possible Heir of the Hyuuga Clan_

_ Hinata Hyuuga, possible Heiress of the Hyuuga Clan_

_ Hanabi Hyuuga, possible Heiress of the Hyuuga Clan_

Tears of rage rushed down her face at how Neji's name was crossed out of the Hyuuga Clan's block. Whoever was impersonating her father was looking to terminate the three remaining noble clans of Konoha. She just hoped it would not be too late to rescue him.

* * *

><p>"Shino Aburame! Are you out of your ever-loving mind!?" cried the Aburame woman, "Out in the middle of a thunderstorm and soaked to the bone! Are you <em>trying <em>to catch a cold? Get upstairs and change this instant!"

Shino frowned. His aunt, Shiva, was always concerned over him, since he was Shibi's only son. On every visit, she would watch him closely, and if he so much as sneezed around her presence, she flocked him with questions as to why he was running around trying to get sick.

He was well aware of the consequences an Aburame faced if they were to get ill, but he was very certain she was not germaphobic. Shiva's mood completely changed to that of a loving mother once she stopped scolding Shino and turned to Hinata.

"Of course, I'm not mad at you, Hinata." Shiva smiled, "You've already been through so much."

Shino's eyebrow twitched. Leave it to his aunt to have her bipolar moments whenever he did something right. But at least she was not upset with Hinata. His momentary irritation at his aunt's eccentric mood swings washed away as Hinata smiled.

"T-thank you f-for your h-hospitality." She bowed.

"It's no problem at all, Hinata." Shiva smiled, "A friend of Shino's is always welcome here."

Shiva then turned back to Shino and glared at him through her oddly colored goggles. Shino cringed.

"Shino Aburame! What are you still doing in those soaked clothes!?" she shrieked.

"Alright, alright." Shino blurted out shakily as he got up and headed upstairs, his sudden outburst wringing out a stifled giggle from his teammate.

Blushing, Shino made his way up to the second floor. His father, Shibi, and his uncle, Shimuro met him midway and attempted to start a conversation when Shiva called them downstairs. Shino quickly headed to his room after hearing his uncle mutter something along the lines of "pushy brat" under his breath. He definitely did not want to be on his aunt's bad side tonight.

"Alright, Shiva." Shibi said with finality, "The room's ready."

"Excellent!" chirped Shiva, "Come now, Hinata. Let's get you dried up."

"O-Okay."

Hinata followed Shino's aunt up the stairs. Next to the tall woman, she felt almost tiny. Shiva had to at least tower three inches over Shino, which also meant that she towered over her two siblings with a slight margin. Because Hinata had never seen another Aburame except for Shino and his father, she found her height to be something rare amongst them.

Hinata also noticed that whereas Shino, his father, and his uncle wore their signature coats in dark or neutral colors, Shiva wore hers in white. The most unusual of all were her choice of eye-gear. Where her nephew and her two brothers wore dark sunglasses, she wore dark purple goggles with aqua-green lenses. _Such a curious thing…_

"Is there something wrong?" Shiva's voice broke through her thoughts.

Hinata jolted slightly. "I-I'm fine." She blushed with embarrassment and turned away.

Shiva looked at her and smiled. _So this is the young lady that my nephew fancies…_

They turned left down a long corridor and stopped in front of one of the many rooms. Shiva opened the door and smiled at the sound of Hinata's gasp.

"Do you like it?" She asked.

Hinata, too stunned to speak, nodded. She had heard many say that the Aburames were deeply connected to nature, but she had always thought it was because they made a pact with the insects. It rooted much deeper to that if one were to look at the clan's architectural designs.

The room resembled a cabin of sorts, with a wide, circular bed in the middle. The windows had a bench built in, with neutral colored cushions, and plants and flowers were a constant theme. On the wall, right above the bed, was a huge hand-made fan. It had a sea-green beetle crawling up a flowering almond plant. Though it was a simply decorated room, Hinata could not help but stare in awe.

"It's beautiful…" Hinata breathed.

Shiva smiled as she grabbed two towels from the foot of the bed. As Hinata began to undress and dry off, Shiva hung up her clothes on a clothing line that was suspended from above the door and reached over to the top of the windows.

"Who made this?" Hinata asked as she settled herself in a soft pink nightgown.

Shiva turned to see her gently running her hand on the fan. Her chest swelled with pride.

"My son made it." She approached the bedside and looked up at it. "The beetle represents rebirth, and the flowering almond plant represents hope."

"Wow… he is very talented." Hinata smiled at her.

"He was…" Shiva replied, her smile saddening a bit. "He…He died, saving his teammates during the war."

Hinata's expression turned to sadness. Many great shinobi gave up their lives to protect their home. She would be surprised if someone said they hadn't lost someone. It was a dark time in their history, and they were all honored for their sacrifices. But honor never filled the empty holes in the hearts of those people who lost so much.

"I-I'm sorry." Hinata managed to say without tearing.

"Oh," Shiva shook her head and waved her hand dismissively, "Don't worry about that. Muta was never the selfish type. He wouldn't had managed to live with himself if he had left his family and friends die, and I'm proud of him for that. Besides," she smiled as she cupped her hands over her chest, "I know he'll always be with me. He'll always be my little boy…"

Hinata looked at her, tears welling in her eyes. The undying love of a mother for her child. She had felt that once from her mother before she died. She had felt that same type of love from her father once, too. But after her mother's death, her father had been very difficult on her for one reason or another, like he was constantly trying to push her away.

"Well, now, let's not spoil your visit with mourning." Shiva's voice boomed Hinata out of her thoughts, "It's not good for the soul, you know."

"Y-yes." Hinata nodded.

Shiva smiled and stood up. "Come, now, let's get you some food. You must be hungry."

"Oh, n-no, r-really, I'm fine." Hinata protested, but blushed deeply when her stomach disagreed with a groan.

Shiva laughed wholeheartedly. "It's not healthy going to bed on an empty stomach."

Hinata hesitated before she stood up and followed Shiva out of the room.


	7. Chapter 7

Shino had already dried off completely and was beginning to dress. In the process of tying the strings to his sweatpants, he heard a gentle knock at the door.

"Shino?" It was his aunt, "May I come in?"

Shino grabbed a black, long-sleeved turtle neck and slipped in on. "Yes." He called out.

The door creaked slightly as Shiva entered the room. Shino sat on his bed and combed his fingers through his thick, damp hair.

"I was meaning to talk to you alone." Shiva smiled.

"What is it?" Shino asked.

Shiva approached him and sat down beside him on the bed. She began with a soft voice, "Now… I need you to be completely honest with me, alright?"

Shino quirked an eyebrow and slowly nodded. With a smirk, Shiva leaned in and whispered.

"Is she the girl you often moan and groan about in your sleep?"

Shino's heart sank as his face blazed with a furious blush. "_What!?"_

Shiva laughed wholeheartedly as her nephew looked at her with sheer terror. "Oh, come, now, Shino. We've all been through that phase before! And you promised you were going to be completely honest with me!"

_Yes, but it was not meant for you to know, much less find out! _"Th-that's completely out of the question, Shiva-san!" Shino stammered, pushing his glasses up as they fell down his nose.

Shiva's wide grin was visible from the top of her coat's collar. She absolutely loved torturing him about his crush on Hinata, especially when she knew the bashful girl was just downstairs. Shiva knew he disliked speaking of "private" matters out in the open, but in her defense,_ he made it all to easy for her_.

"Let me guess, you fancy her in something tight, constricting, and bold to show out her luscious curves and her breasts… maybe like the outfit she wore before she changed, yes?"

Shino's apple-red blush deepened. _Well…she did manage to look good in red, even if the color was too bold. _He inwardly slapped himself. This was a complete disaster! Not only was she prodding him for intimate answers, but his body was completely reacting to the way she worded them, making things heat and harden further down south. And the way she accentuated the words "curve" and "breasts" with her own body was downright uncomfortable!

"Or maybe…" Shiva continued, her expression growing more and more devious by the moment, "You just want to pounce on her and let your primal instincts take over. In which case, her naked bo-"

"_Alright already!_" Shino hissed. He felt slightly light-headed and was trying his best to cover his ever-rising erection. "Enough."

Shiva laughed and laughed. God, how his entire face felt sore. It was bad enough having her, his dad, and his uncle team up on him with the sex talk whenever they were alone, but it was much worse receiving the lecture solely from her. The awkwardness never ceased to end once she hopped on the topic and tried endlessly to run him over with it.

"I'm just teasing, Shino." Shiva giggled deviously. She sat up straight and placed her hands on her lap. "In all seriousness, though, you know the time for you to marry is near."

"Yes, I'm well aware of that, Shiva-san." Shino replied. He could feel his senses numbing out as he tried to breathe.

"Well, how about Hinata? She seems like a fine choice. Besides," Shiva smiled sweetly, "She doesn't seem to be like most outsiders at all. And you've known her for a while, yes? So how about it?"

"She is the heiress to the Hyuuga Clan, Shiva-san." Shino countered, finally regaining some composure. "Regardless of how much of a good choice she is, she has other obligations. Besides… she won't choose me."

Shiva frowned slightly at her nephew's tone.

"Well, of course, she has other obligations, Shino." she replied, "As an heiress, she faces all of the responsibilities that you do, and I'm sure that she has to marry by a certain age as well. So, why do you think she won't accept you?"

Shino remained silent as he turned the opposite direction. Shiva waited patiently for his reply.

"Come, now, Shino," Shiva finally pouted with impatience, "There must be a reason on why you feel that way."

Shino sighed. "Oba-san, she doesn't fancy me."

Shiva stared at him for a moment. "Oh, Shino." She sighed.

She was well aware of his low self-esteem. Hell, most of her cousins, as well as her brothers, had little to no self-confidence at all with the opposite sex, and that was understandable. The Aburame clan, men as well as women, were always frowned upon for being so different from everyone else. Because of that, many often took the remarks of the public to heart, thus causing them to look at themselves the same way everyone did.

"Are you sure about that?" Shiva asked, "Or is that your self-conscience telling you that?"

Shino sighed. "Conscience or not, it is merely the truth of the matter."

_She has eyes for another. Plus, once her father returns, he won't approve either…_

"Well, then, we shall see about that." Shiva said.

"Please, oba-san, keep out of this." Shino groaned.

Shiva frowned. "Fine, but I will allow no nephew of mine to simply give up before trying. Show me that you've tried your best to woo your fine lady, and maybe, I'll reconsider my decision."

It took him a while, but Shino finally managed to agree to her request. Though he had no idea how he was even going to begin to talk to Hinata about the matter, he knew his aunt, as well as the rest of his family, only wanted the best for him. And Shiva would do it herself if he backed out.

'_Give oba-san some credit, Shino…' _hummed his kikaichu, '_At least, she's not suggesting you to get her pregnant and take the child by force.'_

He cringed at the thought. The Aburame clan were known for being noble, well-mannered, and kind, but back when the clan was still young, they faced many troubles in finding a suitable bride or groom for the heir or heiress.

Once the pact with the insects had been made, the clan was alienated completely from the rest of society. Outsiders wanted no part of their family. It was not the thought of being married with someone who had a hive of insects that bothered most people. On the contrary, there were always the few that were fascinated by it. Rather, it was more of the rituals that took place once an heir had been born.

The child was to be succumbed to constant injections of insects. The process took hours, maybe even days if there was more than one child involved, and only ended either with the acceptance of an insect species by the frail body, or the death of the newborn. Many people, especially women, refused to take that chance with them, deeming it as torture.

So, they were avoided altogether, and thus came the time for a difficult and immoral choice: either they found a groom or a bride who truly loved them and were willing to take the risk of having their children die in the rituals, or they were to have relations with a person of their choosing and produce a strong and potential offspring that would survive and keep the clan alive. The difficult choice was simply this:

At that moment, they were forced to make the child part of the clan, whether the lover had agreed to the customs or not.

It had brought many troubles to the clan, and was one of the many reasons why so many people avoided them like the plague today, especially once word spread that the heir or heiress was looking for a mate.

It was not long ago that Shino had happened to eavesdrop on a conversation between Shibi and his grandfather, Shouma, which had included such things. The words still echoed in his mind.

* * *

><p><em>"Shino's time is running out, Shibi. If the boy cannot find a wife before his twenty fifth birthday, then he will have no choice but to take a concubine." Shouma had said.<em>

_Shino's form blanched at his grandfather's suggestion. It was a heartless move, but as Shouma had once put it, necessary to keep the clan alive. The process was common in the old days, back when Shouma's father was head of the clan. Though the methods had ceased long ago, Shouma, being old-fashioned as he was, still maintained it as a possible option._

_"Father," Shibi replied, in a rather angry, yet calm tone, "The method may have worked for you, but we are no longer in the dark times. Shino is kind. I will never-"_

_"It matters not whether Shino is kind." Snapped Shouma, "If he cannot find a wife before his twenty fifth birthday, then his two options are to either forfeit his position as heir, in which case, Shimuro's boy, Matoro, will be next in line, or he is to take a concubine, impregnate her, and take the child by force, if need be."_

_"I appreciate your concern over Shino's marital status, Father." Shibi said, "But he is my son. I will decide when it is appropriate for him to worry about marriage and the like." His voice grew fiercer, "The past actions of our clan is precisely why we are looked down upon in such matters. If I want him to marry, I want him to do it the right way, not by disgracing himself into being a heartless bastard and keep the mother away from her own child, if matters arise. Those days are __**over**__."_

_Shino had turned 19 then…_

* * *

><p>"Shino, please don't be upset." Shiva's worried voice stirred him out of his thoughts. "I just don't want you to be alone for the rest of your life."<p>

Shino stared at her, his expression monotonous as he tried to think. How long had he spaced out?

"I know, Shiva-san." Shino sighed, "I just… don't know how to start."

Shiva giggled softly. It still surprised her how the boy could figure anything out on his own, yet when it came down to talking to the woman he was head over heels for, he was absolutely baffled.

"Don't bash your head over it." She said gently, "Speak from your heart, not your mind."

"Kiba tried that once," Shino recalled out loud, "He was slammed into a wooden table on the other side of the street."

Shiva laughed. "Well, I'm sure Hinata is much gentler than Yamanaka's girl. I'm also sure that your first sentence won't be "I want to bang you," though, you will probably prove me wrong on that as well."

Shino blushed again, which made her laugh harder. He groaned inwardly. Surprisingly, she quickly regained her control and cleared her throat.

"Now," her voice turned into a serious tone, "After Hinata goes to bed, we, as in, you, me, your father, and your uncle, have to talk."

Shino nodded as Shiva stood and headed towards the door. Before exiting the room, she turned.

"Oh, and Shino?" she began.

"Hm?"

Her voice lowered, "You might wanna control your kikaichu whenever you feel like you want to masturbate. They tend to be very…loud when you finish. Okay?"

With that, she half-ran out of the room, leaving Shino with a blush that would have put Hinata's own to shame.


	8. Chapter 8

Hinata sat at the table, along with Shibi and Shimuro, who seemed to be in good spirits. They were telling her all about the clan's festivities during the blooming season. Apparently, it was a very big deal for them, and the entire clan would be joining together in the main manor to celebrate spring as well as the Hanabira Festival.

"Wow," Hinata smiled, "I never realized that it was so important to your clan, Shibi-san."

"Indeed," Shibi replied with a small smile, "It is merely a way to bond with each other as well as the insects and nature. We rarely get to visit our family members regularly, since many of us are Jonin level shinobi."

"It gives us a chance to catch up with each other." Shimuro added in.

Hinata nodded. It honestly was a good idea, especially since majority of the clan was always away on missions or busy with other matters. At home, they were just like everyone else. _Why can't people see they're people too?_

The three of them turned to she Shiva coming down the stairs with a smug grin on her face.

"Would you like to share what seems to be amusing you, sister?" Shibi asked.

"I believe that will be a story for another time." Shiva answered.

The twins looked at each other and quirked their brow. Soft footsteps approached as Shiva began to set the food on the table. Hinata turned and stared as Shino made his way towards the table and sat down.

It was unusual to see him without his coats. She always knew he was good-looking, but she had almost forgotten how… _handsome _he had gotten over the years. The turtle neck sweater he wore hugged against his form, outlining the lean muscles on his arms and his toned chest. His facial features were completely exposed, except for his eyes. He never took those glasses off, which made her own linger on the dark lenses. They then traveled lower to his nose and his lips. Hinata was sure she'd seen his face before, yet he looked so strange without his upturned collar.

"Are you alright, Hinata?" Shino asked.

Hinata snapped out of her reverie and blushed darkly. How long had she stared at him? More importantly, had his family noticed? The questions just brought a darker shade on her cheeks as she looked down at her legs.

"I-I'm fine, Shino…" she manage to reply.

Shino raised an eyebrow before turning to his food. Before he could ever take a bite, he slowly turned to his father and uncle, and lastly, his aunt, who were all staring at Hinata. Then, their concealed eyes wandered over to Shino, and he could see the peaks of wide grins that would have put Kiba's own attempts to shame. He blushed and turned away. He was never going to hear the end of this one.

"Are you feeling alright, Shino?" Shimuro asked, trying to conceal his amusement.

"I'm fine." Shino replied monotonously.

"Are you sure?" Shimuro prodded, "You have not touched your food."

Shibi coughed and murmured something along the lines of "…because that's not what he's hungry for," which earned him strained chuckles from his two siblings, a murderous glare from a flustered son, and a confused expression from Hinata. Shibi cleared his throat and ignored Shino's deathly glare.

"So, Hinata," Shibi began, "How long will you be staying with us?"

Hinata looked at him. "Um…" she stuttered, "I-…I-uh… W-well…"

"She will stay as long as she needs to, father." Shino broke in.

Hinata gulped slightly as she looked down, whereas Shino's family looked at him, eyebrows raised. Three of Shino's kikaichu conspicuously flew over to them and settled inside their ears, to which they spoke:

_It is one of the matters we must discuss later._

The three nodded as the kikaichu flew back to their master and disappeared under his turtleneck.

"Do not fret, Hinata." Shibi comforted, seeing her upset, "I was merely curious. I did not want you to be overwhelmed tomorrow."

Hinata stared blankly at the Aburame. "T-tomorrow…?"

"Tomorrow, my wife will arrive from her mother's home with our children." Shimuro explained, "Our triplets are…quite the energetic ones compared to the eldest."

"Energetic, bah." Shiva frowned, "More like hyperactive little time bombs. If they do not wear you out with their fighting or their playing, they will surely wear you out with their babble."

"Quit your complaints, Shiva." Grinned Shibi, "You were like that once."

Shiva blushed as her two brothers laughed. Even Shino smiled at the scene. Hinata giggled slightly.

"I'm sure t-they won't be a-any trouble at all, sir." Hinata spoke politely.

"They won't, I assure you." Shibi chuckled, "They're just…curious. They do not have many friends, so they are not used to having someone else besides family in the manor. So, by nature, they will not be able to resist their curiosity once they find out we have a guest."

Shino smiled. His four little cousins were living, breathing chatterboxes whenever they were around family, but at least the eldest boy, Matoro, had some self-control. The triplets, however, were a nightmare compared to how they were when they were out in public. He knew they were going to aim their questions and most of their energy on Hinata, since they had never seen an outsider over for a visit, much less over an extended period of time. Hinata was going to be completely worn out until they left after the gardens bloomed.

Dinner passed on by with a constant flicker in the lights. There was no doubt that the thunderstorm was going to go well into the next morning. The sudden blackout from the lights proved Shino's guess.

"About time." Shimuro sighed, "That flickering was irritating me."

"Agreed." Shibi added.

"Is everyone done eating?" Shiva asked.

They all hummed in agreement.

"Great." Shiva chirped as she began to clear up the table.

Hinata was surprised to see the Aburames moving around without bumping into things. Even with those dark lensed glasses, they could see as clear as day.

"Shino, would you be a dear and take Hinata to her room?" Shiva spoke, "I'm sure she must be tired from all the events that took place today."

Hinata heard Shino murmur a reply. A short moment later, she felt him slowly grasp her wrist.

"Follow me." Shino said softly.

* * *

><p>Shino led Hinata to the bedroom, where she sat down on the bed. She couldn't really see what Shino was doing, but she did hear the drawer open from the small nightstand. What could he be looking for?<p>

Finally, Hinata saw a spark ignite as Shino struck a match and lit up a candle. Hinata looked up at him and felt her breath leave her lungs. Even in candlelight, he was handsome.

"My room is on the opposite end of the hall." Shino spoke, "If you need anything, just knock, okay?"

Hinata exhaled slowly and nodded. "S-Shino?"

Shino looked at her. "Yes, Hinata?"

Hinata smiled. "Thank you, Shino…" she blushed, "For everything."

Shino smiled shyly. "It's no problem at all…Hinata."

As he turned to leave, Hinata grabbed his hand, causing him to stop and turn to her.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

Hinata blushed slightly. "W-well…um…" she gulped and closed her eyes, "I-It's just…. W-well… c-could you m-maybe….st-stay with me? A-at least u-until I fall as-asleep…"

Shino's eyebrows rose slightly as a faint blush spread over his cheeks. Despite his throat tightening as he tried to swallow the lump of nervousness down, he nodded and sat next to her. Hinata smiled sweetly. They sat quietly for a moment until Hinata's soft voice broke through.

"Shino?"

"Hm?"

"Why do you always wear those glasses?"

Shino looked at her. It was the first time he had heard her say a phrase without her usual stutter. He shifted his position slightly and took a small intake of air.

"My eyes are very sensitive to the light." He answered simply.

Hinata raised her brow in confusion. "Really?"

Shino nodded and stared straight ahead at the closed window.

"How come?" Hinata asked.

Shino blinked. "Feeling curious tonight?" he replied with a rare grin.

Hinata blushed in a soft pink. Another moment passed until Shino exhaled softly.

"When we get paired with our insects at birth, they begin to build nests inside our bodies. There's not a single crevice in the body that does not bear a nest, though some contain more than others. Can you tell me what would be the most convenient place for an insect to nest, that's both dark and moist?"

"The eyes…" Hinata replied.

Shino nodded. "When a child is born, the eyes remain closed most of the time. In that time, the nest grows. The first time the eyes open completely, the insects hatch out of the eggs. Once they start moving around, their moves sensitize the eyes. The good side? You can see perfectly in the dark and see extremely small details. The bad side? In a fight, just a small amount of light can stun you long enough to get yourself killed, and too much light can eventually blind you."

Hinata stared at him in awe. _So that was the reason… _

"Will you ever let me see?" Hinata asked softly after a while.

Shino remained quiet for a moment. He hoped that she did not notice the way he was blushing in the dim candlelight. He tried to answer her question, but to no avail. Once his body froze at the question, he kept pulling up blanks.

"I-It's okay if i-it makes you feel un-uncomfortable, Sh-Shino." Her stutter returned. She feared she may have crossed the line with him.

"I think I will show you, Hinata." Shino replied with a small smile, "Someday."

Hinata blushed. Thunder rumbled through the house as the sky brightened briefly with lightning. She jumped slightly at the sound. Shino placed his hand over hers and gentle rubbed it with his thumb. Her blush deepened. His hand was rough with callouses, but the gesture was its complete opposite. It was so…unlike him to be so open.

Shino noticed what he was doing and quickly pulled away. Hinata bit her lower lip and tried to steady her breathing. One glance and she saw his stiffened form. His eyes bore holes on the ground as his hands remained firmly on his lap, tightening ever so slightly until his knuckles turned white.

Hinata looked down and tried to fight away the hurt she felt. She didn't know why, but his sudden reaction made her feel…empty.

"I-I'm sorry." Hinata said.

"N-no, I'm sorry." Shino replied quickly. "Uhm… I.. got…"

Hinata's eyes widened at the sight before her. He was never unsure when he spoke. The longer she stared at him, the longer he fidgeted until he broke the connection and looked away. She blinked. Her creamy lavender eyes widened. _No… he couldn't…_

The pelting on the roof grew heavier as the thunder rumbled on. Shino's lip quivered. He was so frightened by his sudden gesture that he pulled away a little too quickly than what he had hoped. A glance at her showed him the hurt and astonishment that she felt. Her eyes told no lies.

"Hinata…" he began, "If I…hurt you in some way, I'm sorry."

She still looked at him with wonder. _No, he can't… He's never felt that way about me… He… He thinks I'm a nuisance… He probably took me home because Kurenai-sensei told him to… _Her eyes involuntarily began to glisten with water. Shino's heart sank.

_Nice one, Shino…_

He turned completely to face her and wished he could disappear. Seeing her face stained with tears nearly broke his heart. Again, his body reacted without his minds approval. His hands suddenly cupped her face.

"No… No, don't do that…" he murmured softly, yet frantically as he wiped away her tears with his thumbs.

Hinata gazed. She could hear his kikaichu humming under his skin as he ran his thumbs across her cheeks. The sound had always soothed her, for reasons still unknown to her.

_'Hinata-sama, do not be upset.' _She heard them say, and gasped at the sound, '_We dislike seeing you this way…'_

She bit her lip. _He would never have feelings for someone like me…would he? _Hinata thought for a moment, unaware that Shino still caressed her cheeks with his thumbs, even after the tears stopped falling. Slowly, but surely, her hands made their way up to his face and touched his glasses. Shino remained still as she tugged at them gently, finally pulling them off.

Shino's breathing quickened softly. His eyes were shut tightly as his lips formed a tight line. Hinata leaned in closer and gently tapped on his eyelids. He jolted slightly at the gesture. She giggled softly.

"I won't make fun of them, Shino…" Hinata said gently. "They can't be as bad as mine…"

He opened his eyes at her statement. In the candlelight, they were a dark chocolate brown. Hinata almost felt lost in his gaze. She had never seen such a beautiful pair of eyes before, much less on a guy.

"Take that back." Shino snapped softly.

Hinata blinked. "W-what?"

"I told you before I was not letting you degrade yourself anymore, so take it back."

Hinata looked at Shino and smiled sweetly. Shino blushed.

"I was right, though…" Hinata stared. "You have…very p-pretty eyes, Shino…"

Shino gazed at her and scoffed as he shook his head. "Why do you always do that, Hinata?"

Hinata lowered her head. Shino cupped her chin and brought her head back up so that their eyes met.

"I'm serious." Shino continued, "You're always doing this. Why? Do you have any idea how priceless you are? Have you not stopped and wondered that you're worth more than what you sell yourself for? Hinata…"

Shino shook his head again and sighed. He turned to her once more and smiled shyly. "No. I think you have the fairer eyes out of the two of us."

Hinata blushed. Shino squinted his eyes and grunted softly. She gasped.

"O-oh! The light." She leaned towards the nightstand and blew out the candle, making the room dark once more.

"Giving me my glasses would have also been a favorable option." Shino stated with a chuckle.

She blushed in a deeper shade. Silently, she thanked the darkness, until she remembered that Shino could see well in the dark. Gulping, she let her head fall to avoid his line of view.

"S-sorry…" she murmured.

"It's…fine."

Hinata placed his glasses in his hands. He grasped them, as well as her hands. Through the distractions by her words and gestures, he had forgotten how fast his heart was beating. Christ, he needed to calm down.

Hinata was in the same position, though she was trying hard not pass out from hyperventilation. She managed to calm her breathing, only to realize that she was inches away from Shino's face. She had not moved from where she had leaned in to take off his glasses.

Blushing madly, she attempted to move away, to at least give him space, but her body wouldn't move. Instead, it responded against her wishes and moved in closer to Shino instead. His body seemed to be responding in the same fashion. They inched closer ever so slightly until their noses touched. Hinata could not take any more. She was sure he could hear her heart pounding out of her chest.

Shino, in comparison, was feeling the same. He was so close to those soft lips. So close he could almost taste their sweetness, as if she was the only flower full of nectar in a barren field and he was the lucky moth to find her.

"S-Shino…" Hinata breathed, blushing madly, "I… I…"

God, her breath was so sweet against his skin.

"Just one…" he replied softly.

Hinata's gasp hitched inside her throat as her senses numbed. Shino's hand caressed her jaw as well as her neck, feeling her shiver at his touch. Slowly, gently, he brought her close to him, and locked her lips with his own. The kiss was innocently sweet, but slowly intensified as Shino wrapped his arms around her. Hinata placed her hands on his chest, sinking into this new feeling.

The moments seemed like an eternity until the two parted to take a breath of air. Their foreheads remained against each other as their breathing eased down.

"You should get some rest." Shino spoke in a faint whisper.

Hinata's gaze lowered. "I… I could… if you would let me go." She laughed softly.

Shino blushed and slowly released her. "Sorry."

"It's…okay."

Hinata smiled to herself as she settled on the bed. Shino had gotten up and laid the covers over her and tucked her in. He then sat back down, this time closer to her, and leaned on his knees.

She looked at his back and bit her lip. He gulped as he regained his composure. _Oh God, what have I done? ..._ He blanched. Deliberately, he turned to look at her, expecting a look of disgust and inwardly gasped. Her gentle eyes were still upon his form, but they held something more. _Love. _

Did she honestly feel the same way he felt about her? _No, she couldn't… _

"G-good night… Shino." Hinata murmured.

Shino smiled to himself. "Good night… Hinata."

It did not take long for Hinata to finally go to sleep, despite the series of thunder and lightning that resonated through the clouds outside. He smiled at her sleeping form and leaned in to kiss her forehead, but stopped himself.

_Come now, Shino… You're only setting yourself up for heartbreak…_

Shino sighed softly and pulled away from her. He stood, put his glasses back on, and walked out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. He made way downstairs, where he joined his family at the table. The three Aburame siblings were as stoic as ever, bodies rigid in posture and eyes following Shino's movements. He assumed the same position.

"You promised an explanation, Shino." Shibi spoke, his voice stern, yet calm.

"And an explanation is what I will give, father." Shino replied in the same manner of speech.

"And so you have our undivided attention." Shibi stated, and motioned for his son to begin.

* * *

><p>(<strong>Nice, long chapter, eh? :3 Hope you all enjoy<strong>)


	9. Chapter 9

"This is not good." Shibi paced slow circles around the table, "Did Hanabi say anything else?"

"No." Shino replied, "Just the fact that ever since Hinata was thrown out, she had seen her father act strangely."

Shibi exhaled. "It makes no sense."

"Agreed," Shiva piped in, "The man's a stiff. He would not let his guard slip even if it was walking on an oil soaked tile floor."

The males nodded their heads simultaneously. They knew that after his wife's death, Hiashi was always on the lookout. He was always vigilant, even when his senses told him there was nothing to worry about. Whoever was behind this had to either blind-side him, or make themselves seem very convincing to where they managed to slip something to knock him senseless without his notice.

Moreover, their chakra control had to be well above the most skilled Jonin if they were able to hold their assumed pose for that long without having it falter by more complex movements.

"It could be a Face Copying Technique." Shimuro spoke, "It explains as to why Hanabi-san could only tell him apart from the real Hiashi because of his behavior, rather than his look."

"Yes, but the transformation can only last for three days at the most." Shibi countered, "Unless he has Hiashi hidden inside the Hyuuga Compound, he wouldn't be able to renew the jutsu." He looked at Shino. "Did Hanabi ever say how long he had been acting strange?"

Shino shook his head. "No."

The adults sighed.

"Even if it was a Face Copying Technique," Shino began, "It is highly improbable. The technique is exclusive to only the Kedoin Clan, and from what I hear, Kaisen is still very loyal to Lady Tsunade."

"That is true." Shimuro mused, "Though it is also probable that someone may have taken the masks used for their jutsu."

Shiva looked at him. "Also true… Can those masks be altered?"

"They could. If they are, then it would have aided just about anyone that could use the Transformation Jutsu effectively."

"We should intervene." Shibi stated, "Get the impostor alone and prod around for answers, but that would not bode well for neither Hinata nor her kinsmen."

"It still makes no sense." Shiva said, "Obviously, they're targeting the Hyuuga Clan. Why would he exile Hinata? Seems to me that he would want her and her sister close if he was wanting to get rid of them. Why would he throw one out and make things hard for himself?"

"That is the one question we need answers to." Shibi replied.

Shino submerged himself in his thoughts.

_If I was an outsider, for what reason would I want to take over the head of a clan? What can I accomplish by that?_

His mind muted out all conversations. Even the hum of his kikaichu seemed far away.

_There is the family riches, but it is clear that that is not what this person wants… There could be a grudge involved, and the possibility of him wanting the clan destroyed is more than likely, but then, why would you exile a Hyuuga? Granted, Hinata may have not been involved in whatever skirmish took place with Hiashi, but Hanabi does not seem likely to have been involved either. Why exile one, but not the other?_

There had to be something he was overlooking, because the evidence was not adding up.

"Shino?" Shibi asked.

"What?" Shino replied.

"What do you think?"

"I..do not know." Shino ran his fingers through his thick hair, "Apparently, this is a strong shinobi we are dealing with, and so it cannot be something as small as a mere prank. Somehow, we are not seeing the bigger picture."

"That is true." Shibi crooned, "A grudge, maybe?"

"That was my second guess." Shino answered. "From what I have learned from Hinata on the history of their clan, grudges bear deep within the main and side branches. If it were a Hyuuga-to-Hyuuga rooted grudge, the impostor would have annihilated the entire clan the first chance they got."

"True, again." Shiva mused, "So, it is safe to assume that the impostor is not a Hyuuga."

"Yes." Shimuro spoke, "A Hyuuga would have wiped out the clan by now, considering how they are already knowledgeable about the clan's techniques. From the information we have, it looks like this person is hoping to isolate them so that they will be easier to dispose of."

"And that explains why he threw Hinata out." Shiva added. "He is probably not strong enough to take the entire clan out. So the isolation strategy is also probable."

"That could also mean that there are others involved." Shino stated.

"Right," Shibi agreed, and stopped his pacing. He turned to Shino, "She will not go anywhere without your companionship, Shino. We cannot risk her safety at this point."

Shino nodded. "Understood."

"What of the rest of the Hyuuga Clan?" Shimuro asked.

Shibi shook his head, "We cannot speak of such matters to them. If the impostor finds out that they know of his disguise, it would ruin the little chance they have on finding the real Hiashi."

They all nodded. Silence was key in situations like these.

"I will try to get a hold of Hanabi-san and see if there is any way we can help." Shibi continued, "In the meantime, everything is to go on as if we have no knowledge of it."

The meeting adjourned as they stood from their places and headed to their respective rooms. Shino sprawled on his bed and looked up at the ceiling. It was still raining outside. Though he was slowly drifting to sleep, he was determined to keep Hinata by his side at all times. He was not going to put her safety in jeopardy.

* * *

><p>Hinata sighed in her sleep. She knew she was a heavy sleeper, but for some reason, she had awoken at least three times during the night. The final attempt she made to get some rest seemed to have worked, because she felt well-rested. Slowly, she opened her eyes and gasped. There were four pairs of concealed eyes looming above her. The bearers of the eyes gasped as well and moved away. As she sat up, she saw four children cower under the foot of the bed.<p>

"U-um…" Hinata began, "It's… okay. Y-you guys can come out."

Three heads slowly rose to peek at her from the end of the bed, followed by a fourth, rather shy, head.

"You're not mad?" asked the sheepishly bright voice of a girl. "But we woke you."

"It's quite…alright. I was already waking up." Hinata smiled.

As if on cue, the four children slowly rose. Hinata recognized them from last night's conversation.

_"By nature, they will not be able to resist their curiosity once they find out we have a guest."_

She gazed at the four children. There were three boys and a girl, all with the trademarks of an Aburame: short, thick hair, dark-lensed eye-gear, and the upturned-collar coats. They all seemed to be cut from the same piece of cloth because they all wore mint green coats with brown pants.

The only one that stood out was the girl. Whereas her companions wore black glasses, she wore plum colored goggles with black lenses. Her hair was a bit longer than the boys, but instead of falling down in thick bunches of curls, it remained erect on her head in two sections that were restrained by two thin blue ribbons.

"Who are you?" spoke one of the boys.

When Hinata's eyes landed on him, he jolted slightly and lowered his head further inside his collar. She smiled kindly as she sat closer towards them and patted his head, causing him to look up at her.

"My name is Hinata." Hinata answered him. "Who are you?"

The boy blushed slightly. "M-my name is Shima." He replied sheepishly.

Hinata smiled. "That is a very nice name." She turned to the other three. "What about you three?

The girl, who was standing next to Shima, was next to speak.

"My name is Makuro." She said, though she had more confidence in her voice than Shima.

"My name is Shoma." Said the boy to Makuro's left.

"My name is Matoro." Said the tallest boy.

Hinata smiled at the children. "Shima, Makuro, Shoma, and Matoro, right?"

They all nodded. Hinata giggled slightly. "Pleased to meet you all."

"Likewise." They said in unison.

"I'm guessing you three," Hinata looked at Shima, Makuro, and Shoma, "are the triplets I've heard so much about."

The phrase brought the triplets to attention. Hinata could have sworn she saw their eyes sparkle from behind their eye-gear.

"You have heard of us?" Makuro asked.

Hinata nodded, making the triplets huddle and murmur excitedly amongst themselves. Hinata turned to Matoro, who looked as if he felt left out.

"And what about you?" Hinata asked him.

Matoro turned to her. "You have not heard of me? ..." he asked disappointedly.

"No," Hinata said, still maintaining the smile, even though it confused the boy, "But you know what? That's a good thing."

"How…come?"

"If no one has heard of you, then they will not know what to expect from you." Hinata smiled as she patted his head, "It keeps people guessing."

Matoro gazed at her and smiled shyly.

"You're very pretty, Hinata-san." Makuro piped cheerfully.

Hinata blushed at the young girl's compliment. "Thank you, Makuro."

Makuro smiled. Shima twiddled his thumbs. The gesture almost reminded Hinata of herself, whenever she couldn't figure out how to ask a question or state an opinion. So, she turned her attention towards him.

"What is it, Shima?" she asked.

Shima twiddled his thumbs a bit more. "Well… if I may ask, Hinata-san…" he began slowly, "What… brings you to the Aburame Manor?" He gulped, "We…don't usually receive visitors…"

Hinata's smile softened. "Well… I… have nowhere else to go." She answered, "So, my friend Shino welcomed me here."

She saw their eyebrows rise in awe.

"You are friends with Shino?" Matoro asked with wonder.

"Oh!" Makuro gasped, "You must be the pretty friend he always talks about in his sleep."

"W-what?" Hinata asked, her face turning a deep shade of crimson.

The boys looked at their sister.

"Shino-san talks in his sleep?" Matoro cocked an eyebrow.

Makuro tapped her collar. "Well… I do not know for sure, but Shiva-san always speaks of it to mother. And she always mentions that it is about a pretty friend he has." She smiled, "So, she probably means you."

Hinata blushed deeper. _Shino talks about me in his sleep? ..._

"It is a probability." Matoro spoke, though Hinata could hear the uncertainty in his voice. "She could have been referring to any girl, though."

"No other girl in the village would dare talk to an Aburame…" Shoma sulked. "Hinata-san is Shino's friend. She talks to him, so she must be referring to her."

"N-now, l-let's not jump to a-any conclusions." Hinata stammered.

The children stopped their chatter and looked at her. They were sure they had never heard someone trip over their words or phrases as bad as she had just done.

"I-…I-uh… I'm sure Shiva-san meant someone else." Hinata smiled nervously. _She couldn't have possibly meant me…could she?_

In that instant, Shiva came in. The children gasped and gulped audibly as they turned to face their aunt. Hinata looked at her and shivered. Though her eyes were obscured by her goggles, she could feel her eyes throwing daggers at her visitors.

"It would have been expected from you three, but not from you, Matoro." Shiva scolded, "I thought I told the four of you to stay out of this room."

The triplets lowered their heads. Matoro looked like he wanted to disappear. He rose his shoulders so that the collar came up over his eyes.

"N-no, Shiva-san," Hinata pleaded, "It's okay."

"Hm?"

"They were not being troublesome at all." Hinata continued, "In fact, I was really intrigued…They… they just came to ask if I would like… to go to the garden with them."

Shiva looked at the children. They all nodded their heads. Shiva placed a hand on her hip and shook her head.

"Are you sure they did not wake you?" she asked.

Hinata nodded. "Yes, Shiva-san… I'm sure."

"Well, alright. Breakfast is ready. Now you four leave so that Hinata can change." Shiva ordered.

The children nodded and filed out of the room. Shiva smiled.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked.

Hinata nodded. She looked outside and saw that the storm had subsided, but it was still raining.

"Good. I'll leave you to it, then." Shiva stated as she exited the room.

Hinata watched the door click as it closed. She stretched, got up on her feet, and walked over to the dresser. There, she noticed that her face was still red from her earlier discovery.

_Shino… talks about me?_

Her mind drifted off to the night before. She had seen a side of him that no one knew. For once, he was not stern, or taciturn. Though she doubted that she would ever get to see that side of him again, she knew that deep down inside, Shino cared for her. He was definitely not the person that others perceived him to be.

Hinata's face darkened with another blush. Shino had kissed her last night. She never imagined something like that would happen to her, much less with Shino, but the moment was as perfect as it could have ever gotten. His lips were soft and smooth, yet firm against her own. A smile crept upon her as she mercilessly nibbled on her lower lip.

She patted her cheeks and looked through the suitcase that Hanabi had packed for her and picked out a knitted plum colored sweater with a pair of black pants. As she put them aside, she found the note that Hanabi had told her about. Hinata opened the note and began to read.

_Hinata, please forgive Father for what he has done. I just don't know what is wrong with him. Just the other day, he was talking to the elders about how much you have improved, and now this. I have a feeling someone is pulling a very bad prank, but I can't be sure. Haizo and I have been watching him. He is acting so strange… as if he doesn't know us._

_We will keep investigating, but for now, it is best if you find a place away from the Compound. I will try my best to get one of your teammates to inform you of our findings. _

_Be careful, please…_

Hinata sighed as she placed the note back inside the suitcase and began to dress. She hoped that it did not involve anything bad.

* * *

><p>Shino rubbed his eyes. The triplets were jumping up and down on his bed as Matoro shook him gently.<p>

"Okay, okay…" groaned Shino with a smile. "I'm awake."

"What do you want to do today, Shino-san?" Makuro asked excitedly.

"I don't have the slightest idea." Shino answered. He smiled, "What do you have in mind?"

"We can go looking for more insects for your specimen collection!" Makuro exclaimed.

The boys nodded at her suggestion. Shino chuckled.

"Alright." He scratched his stomach. "As soon as breakfast is over, we'll get the jars and head out."

The four children cheered. Shino shook his head with a grin. They were quieter and more reserved than he was out in public, yet they were twice as loud as Kiba when they were at home.

"Now, would you please let me get dressed?" Shino asked.

Makuro placed her hands over her goggles. "I won't look, Shino-san."

The boys followed her gesture. Shino rolled his eyes.

"Out." He ordered, much to his cousins' dismay.

They made their way out of his room and closed the door. Shino sighed and got out of bed. Stretching, he walked over to his closet and dug around for a change of clothes. As he slipped into a fresh pair of pants, his mind traveled to last night's events. A faint blush rose over his cheeks.

He had kissed her. He had finally brought forth the courage to kiss _her. _His kikaichu hummed excitedly, and as his heart fluttered and increased its speed at the memory. It was an unusual feeling, but a good one nonetheless.

Once he put on a green sleeveless shirt, he walked over to his dresser and dug around for his comb. His hair was the absolute worst in the mornings, though he thanked his lucky stars that it never tangled. Slowly, he ran the comb through his hair. He was almost done when a slight knock resonated from the door.

Shiva poked her head inside.

"Good morning." She chirped.

"Good morning." Shino replied. He still faced the mirror as he managed to get his hair the way he wanted it.

Shiva raised her eyebrows and grinned. "Ahh… your hair's giving you problems?"

"Not really."

"That's…quite funny actually."

Shino turned to his aunt. "What seems to be so funny about it?"

"Oh, I don't know..." Shiva rocked back and forth on her heels, "It looks to me as if you're spending a little longer on your hair than usual. Trying to impress a certain guest?"

Shino blushed madly as his aunt quirked her eyebrows. Shiva laughed as she entered and sat on his bed.

"Shino, you make this too easy for me!" she giggled.

Shino exhaled sharply and turned around. He dug around in one of the drawers once more and pulled out a container of hair gel.

"Oh, come, now, Shino." Shiva cleared her throat, "It's not like she hasn't done the same."

Shino froze in the process. "What are you talking about?" he asked as he coated his palms in a light amount of gel and ran them through his hair.

"I am saying, she spend quite a while getting ready." Shiva smirked as she leaned forward, "Did something happen last night?"

Shino blushed. "No." he answered.

"You hesitated!" Shiva exclaimed, slamming her palm on the foot of his bed.

Shino groaned with embarrassment. "She asked me if I could stay with her until she fell asleep." He replied after a pause. "That's it."

Shiva rolled her eyes. "Are you sure, Shino?"

"Yes, Shiva-san, I'm absolutely sure." Shino replied blandly as he put his comb down after running it through his hair one last time.

"Alright, then." Shiva said simply as she got up and walked towards the door. "Oh, one more thing."

Shino sighed. "Yes?"

"Your cousins are very observant." She said, tapping her head.

Shino raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, you will see!" her voice rang out as she closed the door.

He shook his head and put on his glasses before following his aunt out of his room. As soon as he reached the top of the stairs, he met Hinata, and was completely mesmerized at what he saw. Hinata stood in front of him, clad in a purple sweater and black pants. The clothes hugged her form snugly, outlining her hourglass shaped body.

It took him a while to notice that she was also gazing at him, her creamy skin flushing slightly in red. A moment passed as he cleared his throat. The noise made her jump slightly.

"O-oh… Good morning, Shino." Hinata spoke with a shy smile.

"Good morning… Hinata." Shino replied.

The two blushed slightly as they descended the stairs together. Despite the rainy weather outside, the kitchen was bustling with all sorts of cheerful activity. Hinata blinked. It was so hard to believe that this was the same clan that were praised for their ruthlessness in the battlefield. Then, she saw what was causing the commotion. The four children were flocking over to Akamaru's large form, staring at him in awe, whereas the adults conversed with Kiba. His eyes then landed on Shino and Hinata and grinned from ear to ear.

"Good morning, love birds!" he greeted cheerfully.

Hinata blushed and Shino sighed. Sometimes, he just wanted to punch Kiba in the face. In the midst of the commotion, Shimuro approached him and whispered in his ear.

"Kiba has to talk to the two of you after breakfast."

Shino nodded.

"W-what brings you here, K-Kiba-kun?" Hinata spoke.

Kiba hesitated and scratched his head. "I'll, uh, get to that. Yeah. In a bit."

"Yes, we will all get into the discussion later." Shibi added with a nod.

"Would you like to join us for breakfast? You look famished." Shiva asked Kiba with concern.

"Ohhh, don't mind if I do!" Kiba smiled wolfishly.

Akamaru piped in with a bark, enticing giggles from the children. After simple chatter, they all sat down and ate.

"Shino-san." Said Shoma, his mouth full of eggs.

"Shoma, remember your manners." A woman spoke. Hinata realized this must have been the children's mother, "Swallow first before you speak."

Shoma nodded and swallowed. Shino smiled and shook his head.

"Yes, Shoma?" he asked as he took a sip of his herbal tea.

"Is Hinata-san the pretty girl you talk about in your sleep?" Shoma asked.

In an instant, Shino spat out his tea and began to cough relentlessly. Kiba, Shimuro, Shibi, and Shiva roared with laughter as a rather flushed Hinata and the woman tried to get him to breathe. The children just looked at each other in confusion as they tried to decipher what was so funny about Shoma's question.

"The cat's out of the bag!" howled Kiba as he fell over.

"What did I say?" Shoma asked. Matoro shrugged.

"I… I haven't… laughed… so hard in… decades!" Shibi laughed. He leaned over, wrapping his arms around his torso.

Shiva and Shimuro were leaning against each other, completely hysterical. Hinata gasped softly as Shino struggled to breathe. The woman, whom she assumed to be Shimuro's wife, had the coldest look in her eyes as she marched over to the laughing lot and knocked each person over the head, respectively. The children winced at the sight of their mother's physical abuse.

"What was that for, Minara!?" Shiva raged.

"Your nephew almost suffocated and all you could do is laugh!?" Minara responded with equal volume.

As Shiva and the rest furiously rubbed their aching heads, Minara gently patted Shino on the shoulders.

"Don't worry, Shino. All of us talk in our sleep." She smiled unsurely, "Well… your uncle does, anyway. At least you mumble about meaningful things."

Shino was twice as red as Minara's gown as he coughed. Shimuro looked at her, motioning her to keep quiet.

"I do not!" he said defensively.

"You talk of ramen bowls fixing the water pipes." Minara replied crossly, which managed to bring a blush to the Aburame's face as his siblings snickered. "At least those ramen bowls seem to make much more progress with the pipes than you."

"Quick, call Sakura-chan," Shiva cackled, "That one was a third degree burn!"

Shibi was thrown in yet another fit of giggles along with his sister. Kiba grinned.

"Mommy, did I do something wrong?" Shoma asked again.

"No, sweety, you did nothing wrong." Minara replied soothingly. "Your father and his siblings are just acting childish."

"You do not have to be so cross." Shimuro pouted.

By this time, Shino had regained his composure. He cleared his throat.

"You should watch where you get your information, Shoma." He said simply, "Shiva-san is not exactly a reliable source."

"I have no idea of what you are talking about." Shiva smiled.

Hinata was already blushing madly, even though Shino's own was starting to subside. Shino exhaled sharply.

_What a dreadful start to a dreadful day…_


	10. Chapter 10

After the breakfast fiasco, Kiba whispered in Shibi's ear. Moments later, he nodded and ordered everyone to leave, except for Shino, Hinata, and Kiba. Once they were sure that everyone was gone, Kiba spoke.

"Alright," he began, "The reason why I came was to pass along a message from your sister, Hinata."

Hinata gasped softly. Her eyes were clouded with worry, "Is she alright?"

"Relax, she's fine." Kiba assured her, but his comfort was not wiping the fear out of her body.

"What is the message?" Shibi asked.

Kiba looked at him and then at Shino and swallowed. "It's…complicated for me to explain, but I will do my best."

A moment passed as Kiba tried to organize his thoughts. "Hanabi was right. The person posing as your father is not the real Hiashi."

"Yes..." Shino replied glumly, "We have already figured that one out."

"Let me finish, beetle-breath." Kiba cut in with irritation, earning him a glare. "As I was saying, someone has taken his form through some type of transformation jutsu. From what Hanabi told me earlier this morning, whoever is behind this isn't just after the Hyuuga Clan. They're also after the Aburame and the Akimichi Clans."

Shibi and Shino froze in place. Hinata cupped her hands over her mouth.

"Why?" Hinata breathed.

"We don't know." Kiba answered, "But Hanabi is completely positive that he's after the heads of the clans as well as the heirs."

"Has Choza been warned?" Shibi asked sternly.

"Yeah. I went by their place as soon as Hanabi informed me of what was going on. Hanabi told me to tell you all that she will inform everyone once she has gathered more information. She's going to hold a meeting on the night of the festival to figure out some sort of plan."

"I see…" Shibi replied.

"For now, though, she did request for you guys to be on high alert, since you don't bear the burden of not being able to warn your family members." Kiba finished.

Shibi nodded. "Thank you, Kiba."

Kiba nodded as well.

"She also wanted me to tell you, Hinata, to stay as far away from the village as possible." Kiba added.

Hinata looked at him and gulped.

"We won't let her leave the Manor without company," Shibi reassured, "And even if she were to leave, the village is off limits."

Hinata could not manage to speak. The fear had completely paralyzed her. _Father, no…_ Tears welled in her eyes, yet she forced them back. This was not the time to break down. She had to think of something. She just could not stand by while the chances of getting her father back safely grew slimmer and slimmer. Hinata was so caught up in her frantic thoughts that she did not notice Shino's hand wrapping itself around hers from under the table. She lower her head in desperation and blinked when she noticed. Her eyes moved upward to look at him. He was keeping his eyes straight ahead at his father and Kiba, but she could tell he had noticed her being tense with worry.

_He cares for me…_

She blushed as his thumb caressed her hand. Somehow, the gesture made her nerves ease down. Her teeth caught her lower lip as she nibbled on it vigorously.

"Keep us informed." Shibi said with finality.

Kiba bowed his head. "Of course." He replied.

Hinata watched Kiba rise from the table. "Welp. I'll be leaving." He said as he stretched.

"Are you sure? There is no rush." Shiba said.

"Yeah. I'm tired. It's obvious we won't be training any time soon, so I guess I'll catch up on some sleep."

Hinata smiled. Sometimes, Kiba reminded her so much of Shikamaru in the sense that they both liked to sleep a lot.

"Alright." Shibi replied, "Send my regards to your mother."

"Will do." Kiba smiled.

"Kiba." Shino finally spoke.

"Hm?"

"Come with me. We need to talk." Shino released Hinata's hand before standing and leading Kiba outside.

Once they were far away from the manor, Kiba snickered.

"What was that little outburst about during breakfast?" he asked.

Shino looked at him, and Kiba flinched.

"Chill, chill, I was kidding." Kiba retorted, raising his hands in defense.

"What do you think?" Shino asked.

"About what?" Kiba stared blankly at his companion.

"About the situation." Shino replied with irritation.

"Honestly, I don't know." Kiba ran his hands through his hair, leaving it in a more disorganized disarray. "They're trying to accomplish something, that's for sure. The question is, what?"

Shino nodded. It was now clear that the impersonator was aiming to take out the three remaining Noble Clans of Konoha, but it was still unclear as to why. It further enraged him that his family was now in danger.

"Sadly," Shino breathed, "That question is puzzling me as well."

"Well… Keep me posted if you figure it out. Hanabi had also informed Lady Tsunade, and though she has agreed not to step in for Hiashi's sake, she won't hesitate to involve herself and the ANBU if things were to get out of hand."

"I will." Shino agreed. "One more thing…"

Kiba perked his head up in acknowledgement.

"Hm?" he blinked when he noticed a faint blush on his teammate's cheeks.

"Keep this morning's incident to yourself." Shino murmured.

Kiba laughed at Shino's uneasiness. "C'mon, man," he grinned, "You know the things that happen with us never make public news."

Shino scoffed and shook his head. Kiba slammed his hand down on Shino's shoulder.

"By the way," he murmured, "This might be a good time to get a little….._closer_ to Hinata, if you know what I mean." He quirked his eyebrows.

At the sight of his stoic teammate's blush, Kiba cackled and bounded off with Akamaru hot on his heels. Shino rolled his eyes and walked back to the Manor. Halfway there, he stopped. His kikaichu were buzzing around, alerting him of an unknown prescence, but when he turned, their frantic buzz had calmed. Moments passed before he turned his back and walked into the Manor.

As soon as he step foot inside, Shibi walked to him.

"Did you feel it?" he asked.

Shino responded with a nod. "We need to inform the others to proceed with caution on their way here." He replied as his father looked out of the window. "If they travel in groups, they must keep together as a group."

"Agreed." Shibi answered, "The messenger beetles have already been sent out. Throughout the progression of the week, each member to arrive will be closely scrutinized. We cannot risk anyone's safety."

"Agreed." Shino looked around. "Where is Hinata?"

Shibi smiled. "She is in your cousins' company. They have taken quite a liking to her."

Shino froze. The memory of their cousins' eagerness to go out today slammed on the forefront of his mind. "Where did they take her?" he demanded.

Shibi looked at him in confusion, then fell into realization. He uttered a curse as the two bounded off in search for them. They found Minara sitting in the living room with Shimuro.

"Minara-san, where is Matoro and the others?" Shino asked in urgency.

"They went to the creek with Hinata." Minara answered with a matter of fact tone, "They have been wanting to go all morning."

"Shit." Shino hissed as he ran out the door.

"What's going on?" Shimuro demanded.

"I'll explain later." Shibi replied, "Stay here."

With that, he followed Shino. The creek lied outside of the clan's property and completely detached from watching eyes, so it was the perfect spot for an ambush. Shibi managed to catch up to Shino as they weaved through greenery and reached the creek.

An ear-splitting scream shattered through the air along with the frenzied skitter of insects the moment Shino and Shibi pinpointed their location. A dome of insects was erected in the middle of the creek with long, arm-like strands of insects shooting out from its center. A pile of unknown matter was jolting violently, ten feet away from the dome. The pile was completely swarmed with the kikaichu and remained on the ground until the pile stopped moving.

The bugs, as if aware that the enemy was no longer a threat, quickly expelled themselves back to their master. Once the insects cleared, Shino and Shibi gasped in unison.

Shima stood in a battle stance as his siblings bowed over Hinata's form. The poor boy was panting for air as the kikaichu slowly crawled back inside his body. Shino felt his heart stop.

_No…_

At first glance, it looked like Shima was the only one standing. Without hesitation, he dashed to the children, but was forced to side step as Shima gasped and directed another attack.

"Shima!" his voice called out, breaking through Shima's panicked concentration.

"S-Shino!" he gasped, calling off his insects. He burst out in violent sobs as he ran towards Shino, arms outstretched.

Shino knelt down and embraced him. He could feel him shivering out of his own skin.

"What happened?!" he demanded, carrying Shima to the others and sighed in relief when they responded to the sound of his voice.

They were all bearing tear-stained eyes as they loomed over Hinata's motionless form.

"We went to…to gather bugs for your specimen collection." Makuro spoke, her chest heaving with choked sobs. "We didn't mean for her to get hurt. Shino-san, wake her up, please, wake her up."

He knelt again next to Hinata's body and checked on her while the children suffocated him with hugs and wails. She was unconscious.

"I need you all to calm down." Shino tried to make his voice as soft and soothing as possible. "I will wake her up, but first, I need to know exactly what happened."

"M-mother…M-mother gave us permission to go..." Matoro began with a sniffle, "We told Hinata that…most of the insects you needed to complete in this region…were here in the creek… b-but when we got here, a m-man attacked us and hurt Hinata."

Shino forced back his anger and focused.

"Is that the man that attacked you?" he looked back at the body, which Shibi inspected.

Matoro nodded. "T-there were more… B-but they fled after Shima erected the Insect Jar."

Shino stared at his young cousin with awe. Shima was but only five years old, yet he managed to focus enough chakra to perform the Insect Jar Technique.

_And from the looks of it, he also managed to perform the Insect Sphere at the same time… The poor boy must be completely drained._

He turned his attention to Shima. His breathing was deep and ragged, in addition to the constant choke of sobs.

"Matoro, keep an eye on him." Shino ordered as he checked on Hinata's injuries.

He felt the ton of weight relieve itself from his chest. Her injuries were not life threatening, but they needed attention. Though she did end up passing out, at least she put up a fight for the sake of his cousins. Shibi's footsteps lured him out of his thoughts.

"Is she alright?" he asked.

"She is fine. Her injuries are not fatal, thanks to you four." Shino smiled at his cousins, who sniffled and hugged Shibi's legs.

"You are all so troublesome." Shibi chuckled, rubbing each of their heads in a playful manner. "Shino. Take them home. Tell Shimuro to meet me here."

Shino grabbed Hinata and lifted her up bridal-style. "Dead?" he asked solemnly.

Shibi nodded. "Does that robe look familiar to you?" his voice was low, yet concerned.

Shino looked at the body and gasped. It was a black and red robe, the trademark of the Akatsuki.

* * *

><p>Hinata awoke with a start, almost head-butting Shino if he had not evaded it. She gasped and looked around.<p>

"The children!" she breathed as she scrambled to get up on her feet despite the rush of pain that flowed through her limbs.

"Relax." Shino pushed her back down on the bed. "They are fine."

Hinata stared at him, her chest heaving with faltering gasps of air. Sudden footsteps made the two shinobi turn to the door, which slammed open to reveal Shino's cousins, followed by the adults.

"Hinata!" they cried simultaneously and ran to her, showering her with tight hugs.

"You are okay!" Makuro sobbed, "You are okay…"

Hinata smiled as she embraced them all. Shino smiled at the scene. It was just heartwarming at how his cousins were so concerned for Hinata's wellbeing.

"B-but…how… How did I get here?" Hinata asked blankly.

"We carried you here, silly." Matoro replied, "Well… Shino-san carried you here."

Hinata blushed, but smiled again. "Thank you… Shino."

Shino chuckled. "Shima deserves more thanks than I do, Hinata." Shino spoke, "After all, he did save your life."

Shima's blush covered his entire face, from his chin up to his ears. His shoulders rose so that the collar of his coat enveloped his head. Hinata giggled as she patted Shima's hair in a gentle fashion.

"Did you save my life, Shima?" she asked.

"Um…I… W-well…" Shima stammered, "I… I think I did."

The elders chuckled at the boy's fluster. Hinata smiled and planted a single kiss on his forehead.

"Thank you, Shima." She said sweetly, making the boy's blush deepen.

"Y-you're welcome, Hinata-san." He managed to blurt out.

"Alright, children, come, now." Minara said with a giggle, "Shino needs to finish binding her wounds and she needs rest."

The four children nodded and gave Hinata a last hug before departing with their mother. They were followed by Shimuro and Shiva. Shibi stopped before leaving.

"Once you are well rested, we will have a family meeting." Shibi stated.

"A family…meeting?" Hinata repeated, "But… That should..not concern me at all...should it?"

"As far as I am concerned, Hinata," Shibi's smile was wide enough to be visible from above his coat collar, "You _are _family. So, we will wait for you to be well-rested."

Hinata's eyes filled with tears as her heart swelled with joy. She nodded, "Thank you, Shibi-san."

Shibi chuckled. "You are very welcome. Rest now." With that, he strolled out.

They were left alone in the silence of the afternoon. Hinata tried to stay as still as possible as Shino bandaged her wounds. She occasionally winced at the sting of the ointment, followed by a quick apology from Shino. To Hinata's surprise, he was finished quicker than she had expected.

"Thank you, again, Shino." She spoke softly.

"It is no problem at all." Was Shino's reply.

She watched him put the bandages, tape, and ointment containers away. A feeling of dread and disappointment flooded over her.

"I'm sorry…" she breathed.

Shino turned to her. "Why?"

"I.. I should have stood my ground…" Hinata's mind suddenly filled with the What Ifs.

What if Shima's technique faltered and left them defenseless as the attackers finished them off? What if the technique backfired and finished them off instead? What if? What if?

"They could have died, Shino…" her hands cupped her mouth in mortification.

"Thankfully, they did not." Shino grabbed one of her hands and held it in his. "You underestimate them."

"Shino, they were Jonin level attackers! Your cousins are not even students in the Academy yet!" Hinata trembled. The thought of waking up to find their tiny bodies underneath pools of blood were too much to bear. She felt sick at her own carelessness.

"I… I feel so stupid. I should not have turned my back… I… I could have gotten them killed."

"Hinata." Shino quickly cupped her face and shook her gently. "It's over now. They survived. You survived. It will not happen again."

Hinata looked at him, her tears flowing down her face. "How are you so sure?"

"Because," Shino replied, his voice hushed, yet stern, "I will not let it happen. I will not leave your side, nor will I leave theirs."

Hinata breathed softly as she nodded. She felt completely guilty for not being able to protect them, but she was thankful for the miracle that had just taken place. Shino wiped her tears as her body began to quiver. The onslaught of negative thoughts that flooded her mind was scaring her, yet she could not find the will to control it. It was too close of a call, and she condemned herself for it. The carelessness was unforgivable.

Her worries and fears seemed to have disconnected themselves from her brain as Shino's lips brushed against her gently. She returned the kiss, her body numbing to Shino's touch. Slowly, deliberately, he released her and looked into her eyes.

"I will always protect you, Hinata." He murmured soothingly. "I assure you, this will never happen again."

Hinata gulped and sniffled. Shino sighed contentedly as Hinata wrapped her arms around him and buried her face on his chest. He returned the embrace and held her as if it was the only source of warmth in a bitterly cold wasteland. His heart, as well as his insects, thrummed at a rapid, off-beat tempo. Hopefully, Hinata did not notice.

"Rest, now." Shino stated.

She nodded slowly, but refused to let him go. "Promise me…you won't leave." She whispered.

Shino's heart rate sped up as he tried to swallow. He rubbed her back and clenched his fists to stop his hands from trembling.

"I promise." He replied.


	11. Chapter 11

The morning soon turned to the late afternoon with a warm, bright sun above fading overcast skies. In contrast, the Aburame Manor was completely covered in darkness. Thick curtains covered the closed windows, and only a handful of lit candles were scattered over the house.

"Wh-why is it dark, Shino?" Hinata asked as the two walked down the hallway.

"Because father needs to contact the rest of our family members to warn them." Shino answered, "The special insects he uses as messengers can only be summoned in a dark environment."

"I…would have thought that your family lives closer together…" Hinata stated.

"They do." Shino replied, "Most of them are either Jonin shinobi or ANBU operatives, so typically, they are away for months at a time."

"So… they all take off from their duties during this time of year?"

Shino nodded. "They will not accept any missions as of now until the end of the season."

Hinata blinked. It was nearly impossible for a Jonin to make it to where he did not have any missions in the spring. As an ANBU operative, those chance were narrowed down to zero. They either had to have a position of lesser importance (which was not possible, considering the Aburame Clan's expertise in interrogations and the like), or manage to "convince" their officials to leave them be for a whole season.

"D-don't they have children?" Hinata asked as she cautioned her steps in the darkness.

"A very rare few do." Shino answered, "The children stay with my grandfather most of the time for their training."

"T-then why are Shimuro's children here?" Hinata asked.

Shino chuckled softly at her curiosity, a sound not many people have heard. "They have already surpassed my grandfather's teachings. Now, they are under Minara's special training."

Hinata watched him with wonder. So, that was why he was so calm when she was frantic about passing out during the fight. His cousins were not even in the Academy, yet they had stood their ground against someone who could very well be a Jonin.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she gasped when she bumped into Shino's back. Hinata grabbed on to him as she steadied herself.

"S-sorry!" she breathed suddenly.

Shino smiled from behind his collar and helped her balance herself. Once she regained her balance, Shino led her down the stairs and into the living room, where Shibi and Shimuro sat facing each other. Their kikaichu surrounded them as they scribed down summoning symbols on the ground.

"Another wave?" Shino asked.

"The last wave." Shibi answered, "Tamiri and his bunch are coming in from Suna. They are the last group we have not messaged."

Shino nodded. Hinata gazed at the Aburame men as they finished scribing the symbols. In the dim candle-light, they, including Shino, truly lived up to their stoic and mysterious demeanors.

"The two of you can go into the common room in the West Wing." Shibi continued, "Your grandfather and the others are expecting you."

Shino cringed slightly. "Grandfather is already here?" he asked stiffly.

Shibi and Shimuro nodded solemnly. "They were already half way to the Manor before the message reached them." Shimuro explained.

"So, the little ones are with him as well." Shino stated.

Again, the two men nodded. Shino could not fight off the smile that crept upon him. Makuro and her brothers have probably already informed them of their new friend, so he could only imagine the curious atmosphere in the common room.

_Then again…_

His grandfather was also there, so the children were probably in their best behavior. Shouma was strict when it came down to discipline. Every Aburame that had him as an instructor had learned that, either in the easy or the hard way.

On the other hand, Shouma had never had or heard of a visitor in the Aburame household, especially a female. _It could be interesting…_

"Yes. They are rather excited today." Shimuro stated as he looked at Hinata and smiled.

Hinata blushed slightly.

"I am sure they are." Shino crooned. "We will see you there, then."

With that, Shino led Hinata down the West Wing. Hinata gulped slightly as she grabbed Shino's hand. Shino looked at her and stopped.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

Hinata blushed and released his hand. "N-no, I... I'm just… anxious." Hinata answered, keeping her eyes away from him.

Shino mentally kicked himself. If he had known that she would have released her hold on him, he would have never asked.

"Do not fret." Shino stated, "It will all be over soon."

Hinata nodded. "R-right…"

She took a deep breath before she followed Shino inside the common room. There, Shiva and Minara sat facing a taller, elderly man. He was clad in a heavy, black coat and green pants. His thick, bushy hair was held back by his headband, and a pair of black sunglasses rested over his eyes. A large gourd lay next to him. Shino tensed slightly at his presence. Hinata failed to notice her companion's change in demeanor as her eyes spotted a small group of children.

Makuro and her brothers were standing in the farthest corner of the room, along with four, slightly younger children. She blinked. The new faces were slightly different. Instead of sporting the same, thick curly hair, theirs were board straight and varied from jet black to russet brown. From what Hinata could see, there were two boys and two girls.

"Ah, Shino!" boomed Shouma. "It has been a while."

Shino nodded. "Yes, it has, grandfather."

Hinata saw the kids look up.

"Hinata!" cried Shino's cousins as they half-ran to her and embraced her legs.

The other four children eyed them curiously as Hinata giggled softly and returned the hugs.

"Did you sleep well, Hinata-san?" asked Makuro.

"Y-yes, thank you." Hinata answered sweetly.

"And who is our guest?" Shouma's voice broke through the scene.

"Grandfather, this is Hinata." Shino introduced, "She is one of my teammates and a close friend of mine."

Shino frowned at Shiva's reaction at the phrase "close friend". Shino watched Shouma examine Hinata from head to toe.

"Ah, but she is exquisite!" he cried with delight. "You never told me you were acquainted with a princess."

Shino groaned softly as his shoulders rose a little to cover his blush. Hinata blushed madly and laughed nervously.

"Hinata, this is my grandfather, Shouma." Shino finished.

"A pleasure to meet you, sir." Hinata bowed.

"The pleasure is all mine, Hina-hime." Shouma smiled and returned the gesture. "Please, sit. Pardon for the apparent lack of light."

"It's… quite alright." Hinata replied, moving along with Shino and sitting down next to him.

The younger Aburames followed suit and sat around them. Hinata smiled at their company, and noticed that the other four had slowly approached. They were curious, yet bashful.

"Hinata, these are our other cousins." Makuro spoke excitedly as she introduced them from left to right. "Tamina, Murai, Shimizu, and Misael."

The children slowly waved at her. Hinata smiled as they sat around them as well.

"I see the young ones have taken a liking to you." Shouma spoke.

"They have followed her around all day." Shiva replied.

"It is good for them." Shouma agreed, "It is a rare thing, having a visitor willingly stay over. Even rarer is the fact that the visitor is so well-liked among us."

Hinata blushed and bowed her head.

"A rare thing, indeed." Shiva smiled.

"Oh, which reminds me, Shino." Shouma began after a moment, "After this meeting, I would like to have a word with you."

Shino stiffened, but nodded. He knew that he wanted to talk to him about marriage. It was a never-ending topic for him, and it made him feel beyond uncomfortable. They raised their heads as Shibi and Shimuro entered.

"The messages are delivered?" Minara asked.

They nodded.

"By next week, they will all arrive here." Shibi announced.

"Excellent." Shouma stated, "Our clan is the most secretive out of the three, so it will be rather easy spotting a fake. Nevertheless, we must be very cautious. There are, quite frankly, children involved. You say that the Akimichi have already been warned?" He turned to Shino.

"Yes." Shino answered, "That was Kiba's first stop."

"I see." Shouma replied, "So, we can safely assume that they are already preparing for the worst."

"I would not assume so suddenly." Shibi retorted. All eyes landed on him. "It would be a foolish move to assume anything, especially when a man known to never let his guard down is the one who was first to fall."

He lowered his head in apology as he caught sight of Hinata's trembling figure.

"I see." Shouma looked at Hinata, then at Shibi. "What do you suggest?"

Shibi shrugged. "Keep a close eye on them as well. It never hurts to be extremely cautious."

Shouma nodded. "Has Lady Tsunade agreed to keep things under wraps until we find Hiashi?"

"She was not happy when we alerted her of the attack, but she understands how valuable silence really is. However, she has given us a deadline." Shibi's form tensed.

"A deadline?" Hinata asked with a slight pause.

Shino could see his father's tense form shift uncomfortably.

"If we cannot find your father by the second attack, she will intervene, whether he is dead or not."

Hinata's heart sank. She tightened her fists on her lap as her lip quivered, yet she managed to keep her expression monotonous.

"I understand…" she whispered.

Shibi nodded. "This means we do not have much time to act. Kiba will be back here tomorrow evening with Choji and Hanabi. We have to try and come up with a plan then."

"What can we do, oji-san?" Shima asked. There was a slight amount of courage embedded in his question as he kept his chin up.

Shibi blinked in surprise at his nephew's sudden boost of confidence, but before he could ever speak, Shimuro broke in.

"You and your siblings will stay near us." His voice was stern.

"But-" Shima protested, his voice faltering.

"But nothing." Shimuro stated curtly, "Today was a close call. Too close of a call. I will not have you four handling things that are beyond your experience."

Shima's courage fled as soon as it had come. Lowering his head, his voice returning to a frightened whisper. "Yes, father…"

"Shima, you did great today." Minara soothed, "You protected Hinata, your siblings, and yourself, but the attacker underestimated you because you are still children. The others will not be so easily fooled, which is why you must stay out of danger."

Shima's head remained lowered. Hinata's hand stroked the boy's head. He peeked at her.

"Listen to your father and mother, Shima." Hinata managed to give him a warm smile. "I'm honored... that you would like to help, and I am more than thankful that you all risked your lives for me, but… think of your family before anything else, okay?"

After a moment, he nodded.

"Anything else we must discuss?" Shouma asked.

"I believe we have covered everything." Shibi answered, "We must try to avoid leaving the compound. It will decrease the chances of the enemy engaging us in a desolate place."

"Very well." Shouma concluded, "The meeting is dismissed."

The room began to bustle with movement until the only ones left were Hinata, Shino, and Shouma. Shino felt himself tense again.

"Hinata." Shino said.

Hinata looked at him. Shino winced. He knew she was trying so hard not to cry. Her creamy eyes were stormy with worry and fear. _Those eyes. _Without a further word, she left. He felt his heart wrench painfully at her absence.

"What was it you wanted to talk about, grandfather?" Shino asked, pushing every emotion back inside.

Shouma looked at him. "The girl." He answered simply.

_Figures. _"What about her?" he asked, his tone dripping with uneasiness.

"She is the one you have chosen?" Shouma asked, though it seemed more like a statement.

"I have chosen no one, grandfather."

"You cannot lie to me, Shino Aburame." Shouma stated with humor, "You and I know better than that. Even as blind as I am to such emotions, I can see it in every gesture and hear it in every word directed at her."

Shino remained silent. Oh, how he loved her. Yet, every single day he wished he felt nothing. The fear of losing her and the pain of the fact her heart chose another were too much to deal with. Worst of all, those feelings were crashing down on the walls he had built to keep everyone out. Shouma being able to read every one of his intentions was proof enough.

"Coward." His grandfather scoffed.

Shino clenched his fists.

"If you love her so much, why have you not gone after her?" he asked.

"Because of the same reason that we have isolated ourselves from the rest of the village." Shino answered coldly. "I refuse to lose her as a friend. Why? Because she is the light of my world."

Shino winced as his chest wrenched yet again. "I rather have her look at me as an equal than with the same disgust and resentment as everyone else."

Shouma gazed at his grandson. A soft, understanding smile pulled on his lips. "And what will you do if the worst happens, and she is no longer in this world?"

Shino's lip trembled. Shouma was finding all the right places to bring down his defenses. The question haunted his heart and mind, breaking through his defenses like a kunai through delicate flesh.

"I will lock myself away, as I have before." Shino answered softly.

"Liar." Shouma replied.

Shino stared at his grandfather.

"It is too late for you to rebuild the walls around your heart, Shino." He continued. "It will tear you up from the inside out."

Silence loomed over them. If Hinata was no longer with him, it would indeed tear him apart. His grandfather was right: he had already indulged in the sweet caresses of the love that could have only been given by a significant other. He was past the point of no return.

"You are not like me, Shino." Shouma finally spoke.

Shino gasped. His voice was no longer tainted with the almost heartless authority. Instead, it was scented with sadness. Concern, even.

"It nearly killed me to watch your father mourn over your mother and your sister. Please, do not make me repeat the sentiment." He chuckled away the pain. "Go after her. Give her your heart, and never let her go."

"And if she refuses?" Shino asked deliberately.

Shouma smiled. "She will not."

"What makes you so certain?"

Shouma laughed, further baffling him. "For someone who observes everything, you are clearly blind." He chuckled at Shino's attempt to understand him. "Do you not see, Shino? She has already accepted you. All you have to do is come forth. Everything else will fall in place."

Shino remained silent as his grandfather's words seeped in.

"Alas, I will not attempt to force you any more, Shino." Shouma stood, "Your woman is finally there. We all know it. Should you wish to claim her or not is entirely up to you. Though, heed this: she will not wait forever. If another man does not claim her, then death will surely do the job for him."

His footsteps slowly receded until Shino was unable to hear them anymore. He continued to sit in the dark room, his mind racing with what Shouma had just told him. Whether he was doing it because he actually cared or because he wanted to push him into it, he cared not anymore. Shino cared not whether Hinata loved Naruto or not. Shouma was right: she was finally there. If the blonde idiot did not even attempt to take her, then he would be damned if he let the chance slip through his fingers. No, he _will _claim her. She was _his._

* * *

><p>Hinata smiled as the children left her room. She felt bad for turning down their offer of playing hide and seek, but she did not have it in her. She just wanted to be alone. The curtains were opened, drowning the room in bright sunshine. It was perfect weather today, yet she felt the worry prick her core. She had never felt so helpless. It was as if every step she took forward, some violent obstacle caused her to take three steps back. Her father was out there. Sure, the man was rarely ever kind to her, but he was still her father. The lack of knowledge regarding his safety and his location were driving her insane. She wanted so badly to wish it all away, to bring her father back, yet every time she opened her eyes, she found herself back at the Aburame Manor, and the fact that someone had taken her father slammed back down against her chest.<p>

Slowly, tightly, Hinata clenched her fist. No, she needed to be strong. For her family, she needed to be strong, but with every repetition of the phrase came the will to cry, and soon, Hinata's head lowered limply, her shoulders heaving with heavy, uncontrollable sobs.

"Father." she whimpered.

From the other side of the door, Shino stood. His heart was breaking. This was more effective than any form of torture. His throat clamped tight with the excruciating sound of her cries. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and saw her sitting on the bed. It was so bright compared to the darkness of the rest of the house. Yet, she cried...

As soon as his presence became clear, she hurriedly wiped away her tears with her sleeve. Without hesitation, he sat next to her, and patiently waited for her to finish. Her arms finally fell to her sides, and though she tried desperately to speak, no words manifested. Shino refused to look at her. Any more of this and he would break, too. Instead, he looked out the window, suddenly brightening up to an idea. It was a very poor excuse of an idea, and it could backfire, but he decided he no longer cared. Fear had held him back for too long.

"What did the arrogant butterfly say to the lovesick moth?" he asked.

Hinata looked at him, her mouth forming the shape of a small 'O' as her eyes widened. "W-what?" she breathed with a sniffle.

"What did the arrogant butterfly say to the lovesick moth?" he repeated a bit slowly.

Hinata remained silent for a moment. Was Shino trying to crack a joke? She bit her lip, unable to brighten her expression. "I... I don't know... What did the butterfly say?"

In that instant, her eyes widened. They almost popped out of her skull. She simply could not believe what Shino, the stoic heir of the Aburame Clan, was doing. His posture straightened in an exaggerated fashion as his hands planted themselves down on his hips. His head turned to her with the most ridiculous pout and when he spoke, his voice was strained, as if he was attempting to sound like a female.

"Stop bugging me!" he cried.

It was too much. The laughter rolled through Hinata's sides as her breath hiccuped with the onslaught of giggles. Her hands wrapped themselves around her torso as she leaned, her body wracking with laughter. Shino ceased his charade as his soft chuckles turned into laughter as well. The weight of tension disappeared as the two laid on the bed, still pushing into each other with giggles. Her happiness brought forth the color that was wrung out of his heart by her tears. Suddenly, the idea of him confessing his love for her did not seem so difficult. He did it. He made his princess smile.

_It was a corny joke, but at least it brightened her day..._


	12. Chapter 12

Two weeks had passed since the attack. During that time, they had come up with a plan, but it required exceptional amounts of offense and defense, which included harsher training regimes. Hinata did not want to be among the spectators, but Shibi and Shouma were reluctant in the matter.

She was finally able to convince the Aburame elders to let her train with the clan members as relentlessly as possible. From sun up to sun down, Hinata trained with every one of Shino's little cousins inside the Manor. She had also trained with Shiva and her brothers, and even trained with Shouma and some of the other elders.

But today, she was up against Shino. For some reason, he had put off training with her until today. It was odd for him, since he always tried to help Hinata with her training if she needed it. The two teammates approached the mat. One look at him told her he was uneasy, yet he stood his ground.

"Before we begin," Hinata spoke, "I want you to promise me something, Shino."

He looked at her through dark lenses. "What is it?" he murmured.

"Attack me as if your life depended on it." Hinata replied.

Shino stiffened. Was she out of her mind? If he attacked her with the full extent of his powers, he would either end up injuring her severely or killing her. But the more he thought of it, the more it made sense. They were on a whole, new playing field, and regular training simply would not do. If they did not practice for the worst, then they were as good as dead.

"Please, Shino." She pleaded, her eyes stern, "I can't allow what happened before to happen again. I want to be able to protect my friends. I need this…" her hands slowly connected into a hand sign. "I won't hold back."

Everyone watched them, surprised that she did not stammer in her speech. It was as if the frightened girl was chased out of Hinata's body by a stronger, more confident spirit. The silence seemed to drag on until Shino squared his shoulders, his posture erect. His hands rose out of his pockets as he adjusted his stance.

"Then, neither will I." Shino replied.

Hinata smiled as her eyes closed.

_"Byakugan!"_

And so it began. The two shinobi charged at each other, the vicious crack of their blows resonating across the room. The two dodged, blocked, advanced, and attacked each other with brutal force. She was much more aggressive when the situation arose, so it did help her to think Shino was the enemy in order to make progress. Thanks to her Byakugan, she was able to see each and every one of Shino's weak points and attack them with precision.

Shino was just as aggressive. He exerted his full force behind his attacks just as she did, but her Gentle Fist blows did at least twice the damage than his own. With the eyes of the Byakugan, it made it impossible for him to block her attacks. He could not hide his every weakness, so his only option was to avoid having her hit him. He evaded a blow to the chest and delivered his own, hitting his mark.

Hinata recovered quickly and continued with her relentless onslaught.

"You're holding back, Shino." Hinata spoke, blocking one of his punches.

"Naturally." Shino grunted as he matched Hinata's tempo. "Why, you may ask? Because I could very easily immobilize you, but that would not benefit us in any way." he reared back, ducking as Hinata's fist brushed through his hair, and slammed his arm into her torso, throwing her back several feet.

Hinata gasped for air. That blow nearly winded her. Grunting, she hopped back on her feet. She smiled as the two charged each other again. This time, they were both equally matched in both strength and speed. However, Shino did not know how long he could hold out. His kikaichu were buzzing angrily at him, alarming him that for every second that passed by, another chakra point was sealed off within his body.

As he dodged and weaved around her blows, he was able to see that she was in the same state he was in. His Strong Fist taijutsu style was slowly taking its toll on Hinata's delicate body in the same way that her Gentle Fist taijutsu affected him.

The match seemed to drag on for hours until they stopped. They faced each other, their chests heaving for much needed air. They were battered and bruised, not to mention completely exhausted. Despite this, the two comrades still stood. Shino inwardly winced. He could feel his chakra points throb painfully. A quick report from his kikaichu told him that most of the chakra points that Hinata had closed were along his arms, though she did manage to close a few on his lower abdomen and legs.

Hinata was about in the same shape he was in, except for the fact that her chakra points were not harmed. Though she wore a light jacket, Shino could tell he had given her many bruises. Her chakra was almost completely gone, further adding into her exhaustion. They dared not move out of their stance, both fearing the imminent fainting spell that would strike them both, should they decide to move.

"Had enough, you two?" Shouma spoke as he stood.

Slowly, they released their bodies from the tension. In Shino's eyes, everything began to unbalance itself. He tried so hard to overcome the sudden wave of nausea. This was the hardest he had ever trained with her. Regardless, he just could not think of how bad he had damaged Hinata. A slight whimper broke through his thoughts as Hinata's body crashed into the mat. He blinked, hoping that would balance the dizziness, but even so, he could not move. Shiva and Minara rushed to her. Hinata was still moving, but she could not force herself to stand. He gasped in relief before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and felt himself crash as well.

* * *

><p>It was nighttime before Shino came around. Damn, he felt sore. He felt as if he was being stoned with concrete boulders. It hurt to even think of moving. Groaning, he opened his eyes. He jolted slightly when they did not look through dark lenses, but instead looked into the soft light of the moon as it poured through the parted curtains. Shino smiled. It wasn't often that he could look into the dimmest light without his glasses, but the rare instances were quite worthwhile.<p>

Shino suddenly caught sight of Hinata's form as she entered his room with a glass of water. She had shed her light jacket, revealing a mesh top. Her entire torso and arms were bandaged. He grimaced at the sight. Her gaze was downcast as she carefully walked over to his nightstand and set the glass of water down.

Shino watched as Hinata winced slightly. His throat clamped shut as she sat down next to him on the bed, a strained whimper escaping her as her body hunched over, gently rising and falling with her breathing. _God, what have I done…? _

He saw her arm rise to her face as she wiped her tears away and shakily reached inside her pockets, pulling out a small container of her medicinal ointment. She slowly turned her body to face him and froze. Shino felt his chest tighten. There she was, yet again, as beautiful as ever. Her milky lavender eyes were saddened with the tendrils of tears that lined down her cheeks.

"Shino." Hinata breathed, her lower lip trembling.

Shino looked at her, completely mesmerized. In this light, Hinata looked like the most beautiful angel in the heavens. She smiled as she let out a sigh of relief and embraced him. He blushed when he realized that her form was resting against his topless body.

"I'm s-so sorry." Hinata murmured, her tears roaming free. "I… I should have never-"

"It is fine, Hinata." Shino responded. He managed a small smile as he fought against the force that kept him glued to his bed, only to be pushed back down.

"No. You mustn't get up." Hinata gulped.

Shino watched her open the ointment container and dip her fingers in its contents. Hinata then proceeded to rub the cool cream gently along his arms. He was sure that any movement or gestures against his injuries would have hurt, but instead, he was experiencing the complete opposite. Hinata's touch was that of a feather, and the cool temperature of her ointment soothed him.

"I was so caught up in the training…" she murmured, her gestures frantic, yet gentle. "It was... a miracle that I d-didn't kill you."

"There is no need to apologize, Hinata." Shino replied, "If anything, I should be the one apologizing…"

"I made you promise."

"Yes, you did, but my wounds will heal quickly. Yours, on the other hand, will not."

Hinata looked at him helplessly. He could have sworn that she would have torn her lower lip to shreds with how much she grazed her teeth over it. Why did he let her talk him into it? Now, she was hurt, and it would take her weeks for the bruises to heal.

"It was training." Shino crooned, dismissing the thought, "We both know we would have never hurt each other to such extent otherwise."

She nodded slightly and remained silent. She dabbed her fingers in the container of ointment again and rubbed it across his stomach. Then, she reached for the legs of his pants and rolled them up as slowly as she could, making the Aburame blush in ten different shades. He broke into a sweat as her feathery touch stroked his thighs, her fingers yet again coated in the medicinal ointment. Shino silently thanked his lucky stars that this moment had happened now and not six years ago, when he was going through his many _phases_. He had much more control over his sexual needs now, because it would have, without a doubt, scarred the poor girl for life if he released his restraints.

Hinata's cheeks flared like the brightest firefly in a moonlit night. Sure, she had healed many shinobi who happened to have the misfortune of being stabbed or injured near such a place during battle, but they were all unconscious when she administered them. Shino, on the other hand, was awake and fully aware of what she was doing.

Nevertheless, he was calm. Tense, of course, but calm. Hinata sighed in relief when she noticed that the swollen, red circles along his arms and legs were beginning to lighten. They even disappeared in most places. She smiled kindly as she unrolled his pants and put the lid back on the container.

Shino tried to settle in a comfortable position, but to no avail. Every attempt made his muscles jerk and scream in agony, bringing him to hiss through his teeth.

"Easy." Hinata soothed. She fluffed out his pillow. "Are you cold?"

Shino lightly shook his head. "I am fine."

Hinata nodded and gulped as her eyes traveled over him. They first landed on his opulent, onyx black eyes, then at his lips, until they reached his torso. Take out the fact that he looked like his baby cousins poked at him with a red marker, he was all hard, lean muscle. His skin was very lightly tanned, and as she closely inspected his body, she saw various scars, some smaller than others.

Lower and lower her eyes went until she noticed the light trail of hair that surrounded his belly button and disappeared under the hem of his pants. She blushed madly as her eyes traveled a little farther and stopped at the decently large mound that rested between his legs. Panicking, she averted her eyes back down to her lap. Goodness, what was coming over her?

"Hinata?" Shino's voice sounded so far away…

She gasped, her entire face boiling. "W-what?"

Shino's expression was both confused and concerned. "I have called your name more than twice. Are you alright?"

Hinata nodded vigorously. "Y-yes! Of course I am!" she exclaimed slightly.

She gulped with embarrassment. After a moment, she grabbed the glass of water and sat closer towards Shino. Slowly, she brought the glass close to his lips and raised his head, watching him drink the contents of the glass. He finished and watched her set the empty glass back on the nightstand. Clear lavender and obsidian black collided as the two gazed at each other in complete silence.

"You've improved." Shino murmured after a while.

Hinata bit her lower lip. "You…really think so?"

A deep, rumble of a chuckle struck Hinata's ears. The sound was very unusual, yet… comforting. Sort of sexy, too.

"I am bed bound for a while, am I not?" Shino replied with a grin.

She blushed as her head buried itself in between her shoulders.

"I am sorry about that…" she whispered shyly.

"And I did say it was alright, did I not?"

Hinata fidgeted. If it were possible, she would have tied her fingers into several complex knots in no time. Shino managed to lift his arm and extend it so that his hand landed right on top of hers. Her eyes widened and darted back at his form. His eyes were soft, like black silk. His small smiled completely melted her.

"I am proud of you, Hinata." He spoke, stroking the top of her hand.

Hinata stood still. She was shocked beyond reply. He was kind, true, but he was never open to anyone other than family, and even then, he was still reserved. Yet, here he laid, his walls completely torn down, showing her genuine kindness. Was this really the same Shino she had known ever since their days back at the Academy?

Then it hit her. She felt so bad that it had taken her so long to figure it out.

He had feelings for her.

There was no other explanation as to why he was showing his every emotion to her now after so many years. He was no longer pushing people away, coating his words in acid, or indulging in his loneliness. He was now much kinder now that she and Kiba were his teammates. It was as if slowly, yet surely, the two of them were bringing down their sledgehammers against the cocoon that Shino had built to keep everyone else out. Hinata knew deep down that as the years passed, she grew fond over the stoic Aburame, and he ultimately became the man she admired instead of Naruto, who had chosen Sakura instead. But she never understood why Shino cared for her, both as a teammate and as a friend, until now, and even now, she was not sure.

"Do you love me, Shino?" she blurted out silently.

She saw his ebony eyes widen as his cheeks darkened slightly with a blush. Realizing what she had said, she froze. Her teeth began to automatically chew on her lower lip, her hazy eyes darting rapidly from her hands, which she found to still be under Shino's palm, to her lap. Yet, when her eyes rose slightly to see if his expression changed from kindness to resentment or humor, she found no traces of negative emotion. Instead, his eyes were shimmering with warmth. The same warmth Neji held her with before his death. The same warmth her sister gave her when she sobbed endlessly because of her failure. The same warmth Shino's family had accepted her with.

_Love._

The continuous calm of the atmosphere startled her, her nerves jumping all over the place as if Kiba's energetic demeanor had spread to her. His eyes gave her the answer she was looking for, but she ached to have him speak those sentiments. Hinata clasped her hands over his as a single tear escaped her and landed on her palm.

"I do love you, Hinata Hyuuga." Shino whispered. It was shaky, yet confident.

Hinata's chest convulsed with joy, a smile stretching across her delicate face. Her eyes locked with his once more, her lip quivering. Gently as to not cause him pain, she hugged him. Shino smiled and grazed his lips over hers, to which Hinata responded to with unusual confidence. She locked her lips around his and remained in that position until the two parted for air.

Somehow, Hinata felt complete. He loved her. Truly. He despised seeing her drag herself down and making her upset. He had even gone through great lengths to bring a smile to her face. He was proud of her. Those realizations brought tears to her eyes.

"I love you too, Shino Aburame." Hinata responded, burying her face on his neck.

Shino's heart sank. She loved him. She accepted him. He grunted as he forced his arms around her and sighed painfully, yet contentedly. Hinata was finally his, and no one else's. His lips touched her hair as she settled comfortably next to him. Nothing else mattered to him at this point. Nothing could ruin this moment. It was perfect. The woman he loved was finally there with him, in his arms. And so the night sailed by, the two asleep, refusing to let each other go.


	13. Chapter 13

Hinata stirred from her sleep as she felt the sunlight hit her eyelids. Groaning, she stretched, her arms roaming around the bed. It was then that she realized that Shino was not there. Her eyes fluttered open and just as expected, the space next to her was empty. She smiled in relief.

_At least he can move now…_

She rubbed her eyes free from sleep and sat up, blinking her eyes to adjust them to the rays of sunlight emanating from the window. It was a beautiful, cloudless day from the looks of it.

Hinata looked around. For a boy's room, it was pretty neat. There was not a sign of clutter anywhere except for the desk next to a large, wide bookcase. The desk had three stacks of notebooks and stray papers, as well as various pens, pencils, and scrolls.

The bookcase caught Hinata's eye in the sense that it served less than half of its intended purpose. A small sector of the bookcase held thick volumes labeled in alphabetical order. The rest of it held jars and cages full of dirt, twigs, and leaves. In those containments scuttled various types of insects. This must have been the specimen collection Shino was so proud of. Hinata's face lit up as her keen eyes spotted a jar in particular.

Unlike the other jars and cages, this one contained no movement, and pretty soon, Hinata realized why. Its tennant, a caterpillar, was peacefully hanging from a leaning twig, its body covered in a silverish white cocoon. She did not know much about the caterpillar's cycle, but she knew this caterpillar would be due to break out of its cocoon soon. There was no doubt in her mind that the caterpillar would come out as a beautiful butterfly.

Turning herself away from the bookcase, Hinata continued to examine the room. Though it was simply decorated, it was decently-sized and open. But what struck Hinata's curiosity was the skylight. It was a very unusual feature, especially when she knew his eyes were sensitive to lights. What purpose did it serve?

Her eyes traveled further until she noticed a note on the nightstand. She approached with curiosity and grabbed the note.

_'Forgive me for my absence. The remainder of my relatives are arriving today, and I must help my father with the necessary accommodations. Come down whenever you feel like you are well-rested.'_

Hinata blinked. A familiar wave of uneasiness settled into her. Though she knew before this that his relatives were showing up, she was unsure if she should come down to greet them. She knew it was very rude if she did not come down at all, but as far as Shino's father knew, she was resting off from the gruesome training. True, the relatives Hinata had met so far were more than approving, but something told her that the rest might not be so warm or kind. Nevertheless, it was the polite thing to do, and she certainly did not want to offend anyone. So, she stood and walked out of his room.

She felt clean, yet dirty. Clean in the sense that she had not had a speck of dirt on her. Dirty in the sense that she was still covered in the sweat she earned yesterday during training. As she walked down the hall, she heard various voices intertwining with each other from the company downstairs. Not wanting to go downstairs in such a poorly presented condition, Hinata went towards her temporary room, grabbed an outfit, and headed towards the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Shino smiled at the company. It seemed like forever that he had seen all of his family. It depressed him to think that he, too, will be a Jounin soon, and he would be away as well, but he suppressed it. It almost didn't matter much, since he had confessed his love for Hinata, and she would be joining him in the ranks as well, and even if she did not, he felt the same. After all, what a reward will it be to come home into the comforting arms of his lovely Hyuuga.<p>

"So!" cried one of Shino's elder cousins, "I heard that you were smacked around by a fair lady. Care to explain?"

Shino blushed as he shrunk inside his coat collar. Of course, there were some things he did not miss as much. His elder cousin's constant pestering and the gossip were two of those things.

"It was training, Shami." Cried Makuro in defense. She looked up at her cousin, "And they were equally matched."

Shami looked down at his younger cousin, his eyes dancing with humor behind his opaquely white lenses. He got down on his knees so that he could be at eye level with Makuro and the rest, who were crowding behind her.

"Well, since Shino's too tongue tied to tell me anything, maybe you can fill me in on our little guest."

"Drop it, Shami." Shino groaned. The train was already in the danger of running off the rails with the gossip that was roaming around, and it was doomed to either wreck against another train or go off a cliff if his little cousins pitched their two cents in.

"She's Shino's pretty friend." Shoma piped in with confidence, "She plays with us, and she keeps us company."

"She's very nice." Tamina spoke softly.

"She even takes interest in our specimen collection, even though they are not as grand as Shino's." Matoro added in.

Shami's smile peaked above his collar as he stared at Shino. The poor boy looked like he wanted to bury himself inside his coat and never come out.

"Ah, so Shino has a _pretty _friend." Shami quirked his eyebrows up and down. "Any chance this _pretty _friend of yours show signs of interest in you?"

"Shami, knock it off." Tamiri interrupted.

Shino sighed as his uncle smacked Shami upside the head, much to his son's protest.

"In any other place, you will not say a word. Yet, when you are here, you're insufferable." Tamiri sighed.

Shami laughed. "It's our nature, father. You know that." he walked over to Shino and stopped dead in his tracks. He sniffed the air around him until he was inside Shino's personal space, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed at his cousin.

"What are you doing?" Shino pulled away.

Shami cackled as he slapped Shino's shoulder. "Looks like your kikaichu have already chosen your betrothed." He grinned as he elbowed Shino's side, "Methinks it is that _pretty _friend of yours."

Shino froze. _Oh no… _

"What?" Tamiri said in disbelief as he approached his nephew and sniffed. He practically did a double-take when he came close enough and remained silent for a moment, then let out a good, hearty laugh as he patted Shino hard on the back. "Well, would you look at that? I never thought I'd live to see the day!"

Shino blushed furiously. Now that someone pointed it out to him, he practically reeked of the possessive nature of his kikaichu. So this was why his father almost burst out in tears this morning. His kikaichu had already released their mating pheromones!

_Which means that Hinata is soaked in their stronger scent…. Oh god, what have I done?_

This phenomenon did not happen often, mainly because Aburame men were never the suitor type. Even when they did find someone to marry, their insects did not make the spouse official, either because they knew it would not last or because they did not believe it was the right time. But Shino's kikaichu had already chosen his mate, and he had not even asked for Hinata's hand in marriage!

_This can't be happening. This CANNOT be happening to me._

"Oh relax, Shino." Tamiri soothed, even though his rough burr did the exact opposite. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. At least you found someone that loves you for you, unlike Shami." He shook his head at his son, "Look at him, a bunch of nothing."

"I'd rather be a bunch of nothing than a bunch of dusty, raggedy, old coats."

Shami ducked as Tamiri chucked a thick book at his head.

"You little ingreat!" he bellowed, causing the family to stir their eyes towards them.

Shami laughed, until Tamiri caught him in a headlock. Shino sighed shakily. This was too much hyperactivity for the Aburame. If he had not known any better, he would have thought he was at Kiba's house.

"Come to think of it, Shino." Matoro tugged at his jacket. "You do smell kind of…funny."

Shino blushed again. "I-It's nothing!" he muttered. He bit his lip in embarrassment as many of the other members of the clan stuck their noses in the air and sniffed. _Damn it, it's spreading!_ "Shiva-san must have replaced my cologne with some of her stuff."

"Shiva-san never smells funny." Makuro sniffed. "She always smells prettily."

He broke into a sweat. Oh god, this was NOT happening to him. It was like a bad dream he could not seem to wake up from.

'_Sorry, Shino.' _Muttered his beetles, '_this is all reality.'_

"Yeah…thanks a lot." Shino grumbled.

"I think you smell more like…" Shoma began, then sniffed again, lost in thought.

"Would you stop, please?" Shino hissed.

"But you smell _funny _Shino." Makuro whined, "You usually smell pretty. Like outside. But today you smell weird!"

Shino's senses were on overdrive again. The train had completely derailed and plummeted down the cliff. This was a complete disaster! He was well aware of his scent now, and it made him feel beyond uncomfortable.

"Well, hello, Hinata." Shiva greeted cheerfully.

Shino blanched as his eyes traveled to her form. Even from his distance, he could smell her delicious scent of mango and strawberries, but what had his knees turning into rubber was the strong, muskiness that mixed with her usual fragrance. It stunned him. Her scent alone was enough to make his mouth water, but now that his insects have marked her as his territory, it was driving him insane.

"Hello…everyone." Hinata greeted with a hint of both uneasiness and her usual shyness.

Everyone greeted her in unison. Hinata smiled as Shino's little cousins rushed to her and embraced her legs. The elder Aburames looked at her, either muttering of her _strange _scent or the fact that she was a guest in their household of her own free will.

Hinata looked around as Shiva approached her. But as soon as she came close, she stopped. Shiva blinked as her nose worked around Hinata's unusual scent. Berries and flowers, just like the many times before, yet her usual scent was mixed with something else. A pleasantly musky smell. Her eyebrows raised until they were lost under her headband as a smile spread across her lips.

Hinata, on the other hand, was fidgeting with nerves, completely befuddled as to why she had stopped and stared. Gulping, she looked around and noticed they were all doing the same except for the little ones, who were sniffing at her intently.

"Mmm!" Makuro sighed, "You smell nice, Hinata-san!"

Hinata blushed. "O-oh, w-why thank you, M-Makuro."

"Don't get too close to Shino-san." Matoro warned, his nose wrinkling. "He smells funny."

Hinata cocked an eyebrow at his remark, then jumped nearly three feet as Shiva laughed. Hinata bit her lip and looked over at Shino and stifled a giggle. The only thing that was visible was his thick, curly hair and the top half of the plate on his headband. The rest of his facial features were obscured inside the collar of his coat, but she could tell he was embarrassed due to the way the tips of his ears flared in a bright pink. But why was he embarrassed?

"I-Is Shino okay?" she asked Shiva.

"Oh! I'm sure he's just peachy." Shiva waved off her laughter. "He's been waiting for you all morning. Why don't you go and talk to him?"

"O-oh, s-sure." Hinata smiled and walked towards Shino.

Shino had his eyes closed as he tried desperately to control his breathing. He was so distraught that he nearly jumped out of his skin when Hinata's delicate finger tapped his forehead.

"Shino?" she asked.

Shino's head slowly peaked out of his collar, his eyes gazing at her. He swore she got more beautiful every day.

"Yes?" he managed to reply.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." He replied quickly.

A grunt escaped his lips as a pair of hands were brought down onto his shoulders. Shami's figure appeared beside him, along with Tamiri. Hinata stared at the two new faces. The one with his hands on Shino had the same tan that Shibi had, except that his hair was sun bleached into a bright russet brown. The other, a slightly taller and older man, had the same tan, but his hair was jet black.

"Shino, don't be rude, introduce us to your _friend._" Shami smirked.

Tamiri swatted his son away like an annoying gnat. "Jealousy comes in many forms." He spoke to Shino, "Quite sadly, his takes the form of an obnoxious ass. Pay no mind to your pest of a cousin, Shino."

Hinata giggled. She never thought that Shino's family members bore such a sense of humor, especially how they carried themselves away from home. She felt bad for expecting a negative vibe from them.

"Though I must say, you are quite the beautiful, young lady." Tamiri continued, taking her hand, "Shino's quite lucky to have a friend like you."

Hinata could have sworn she saw him wink playfully at her and couldn't help but smile and blush.

"How indecent of you, father, touching Shino's lady friend in such a manner." Shami stated with a grin, "She chose Shino and not some old billy goat for a reason."

If he did not die of embarrassment in that very spot, Shino would have gladly jumped from the highest peak of the Hokage Mountain.

_And yet they wonder why I do not bring friends home…_

Hinata's face flushed from its usual paleness to a crimson red as Tamiri pounded Shami's head into his collar.

"I was being polite, you snappy, little toad!" Tamiri shrieked.

Shino sighed with chagrin. "Forgive my uncle and cousin." He murmured. "They are very…passionate about getting on each other's nerves."

Hinata smiled. "It's quite alright." She replied, "I didn't know the rest of your family had such good humor."

"I am surprised at that as well." Shino frowned.

Now that the two Aburames were busy landing blow after blow at each other, further involving the others in laughing or scolding them, Shino had a chance to admire the beauty before him. Her hair was still dampened with the remnants of a shower, but it was tied back in a neatly braided ponytail. Her face still maintaining a slight flush, yet her eyes were concerned as Tamiri once again held Shami in a headlock.

The outfit she wore today baffled him in the sense that he had never seen her wear anything that did not contain different shades of purple. The snugly fitted long-sleeve she wore was a soft tone of pink, with a V-neck collar that revealed a mesh top underneath. Her pants were white and fitted around her voluminous legs.

His kikaichu stirred with a hum he had heard only when he was deep in a lustful state, though this time, it was somewhat different. The hum numbed his senses just enough so that he could focus on her and her alone. She was truly the most beautiful angel of all the heavens._  
><em>

Hinata looked up at Shino. She could tell without seeing his eyes that he was looking at her intently. Her thoughts stirred to the night before, bringing a fresh coat of red to her cheeks. Without hesitation, Hinata grabbed Shino's hands and held them, slowly rubbing circles on them with her thumbs. Shino was stunned, but after adjusting, he returned the gesture.

The two swung around and laughed at the scene before them. Tamiri and Shami sat on the ground like two troublemaking children while a short, slender female with wild, curly brown hair stood before them, scolding them.

"And let that be the last time, Tamiri and Shami Aburame, or so help me, I will disembowel _the_ _both of you!"_

The two males paled at the woman's words and nodded rapidly and obediently.

"Good!" her posture straightened as she exhaled deeply. She turned to Hinata and Shino and walked towards them.

She was a short-statured woman, with vibrant, sea green eyes, which were just as wild as her hair. She was slender, yet she bore slight amounts of plumpness in her lips, hips, and legs.

"Now," she said, finally standing in front of Hinata. She looked at her from her head to her toes. "Let's take a look at you up close, since these morbid oafs would much rather stare from the back stage."

Hinata blushed as the short woman continued to examine her. She heard Shino and his other relatives shift uncomfortably at her remark.

"From what I hear, you're one of the Hyuugas, right?" she asked.

"Y-yes…u-uhm." Hinata stammered, unsure as to how she should address her.

"Oh, silly me, where are my manners?" she laughed good-naturedly, "My name is Midori. And your name?"

"O-oh, Hinata." Hinata smiled. "A pleasure meeting you."

"The pleasure is all mine." Midori smiled, "I see you have already met my two knuckleheads, so introductions there are not necessary."

Hinata giggled slightly. Midori then turned to the rest of the Aburame, who stood their ground, yet their heads hid inside their collars the way an ostrich would bury its head into the ground.

"Alright, this anti-social bullcrap is not going down today." She stated sternly, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I don't usually agree with the shrew woman, but she has a point." Shiva added in, ignoring the murderous intent behind Midori's seething eyes. "We have a guest, and it would really be helpful if we all socialized." She then cast a glance at Tamiri and Shami and cleared her throat. "Maybe not at _that _high of a level of social enthusiasm, but enough to at least accomplish some small talk."

Majority of the people there shifted again, but eventually agreed. Soon enough, Hinata knew a little bit of just about everyone there, including their names. The fact that not many Aburame men married soon became crystal clear once she looked at the clan as a whole. It was a small clan compared to the Hyuugas, majority of which were male (good looking ones at that). Out of the entire clan, only a handful of the Aburames had spouses, and less than half of those couples had children.

It was a sad thing. From what she knew, they were all good people, and would make an excellent match for someone if they would take the time to get to know them, yet everyone else avoided them because of the same thing: the bugs.

Hinata glanced over at Shino, who was part of a small Aburame circle. She could not hear them, but from Shino's exasperated body language, they were probably either teasing him or asking him a myriad of questions about her.

She then saw Shibi approach Shino. He pulled him aside and whispered something in his ear, to which he jerked his head to lock eyes with his father. From the many layers of clothing, Hinata could see that the two Aburame men were beyond tense. They then turned to her and motioned her to come to them. Hesitantly, she obeyed.

"I-is something wrong?" she asked.

"Not here." Shibi murmured, "Both of you, follow me."

They nodded and followed Shibi to the opposite side of the manor. There, he led them into a small room, where they found Kiba, Shikamaru, Choji and his father, Choza, Hanabi, and Haizo. They all looked at them as they entered the room. Hinata gulped at the tense atmosphere.

"Now that we're all here," Choza spoke, "Let's begin."

They all nodded.

"What have you all gathered?" Shibi asked.

Kiba was the first to speak. "Akamaru and I scouted each compound. The properties are being watched by four shinobi." He rubbed his nose, "Well…three, now that Hinata and Shino's little cousins took care of one of them."

Hinata gulped as her mind reeled back to the event that took place two weeks prior, but shook her head clear of the memories. This was important.

"That puts us in an advantage, since the scouts are now much easier to fool." Hanabi added, "But we still have to be very careful."

"Right." Shikamaru stated, "I've examined the plans that Hanabi and Haizo have found in their compound. They're all basic, Chuunin-level attack plans, so we can safely assume that the ones behind this are not Akatsuki members."

"Which means that they were using the robes as a disguise." Shino murmured.

"Exactly." Shikamaru agreed, "Whoever is behind this doesn't want us to know who they really are, so more than likely, they're using Akatsuki robes to fool us. But why go through all that trouble? If they're not associated with the Akatsuki, then they're running a huge risk by looting their trademark."

"They are probably executing a poorly planned attack so that it could be some sort of diversion for something much bigger…" Hanabi spoke.

All eyes fell on her.

"Think about it." She continued, "The village has made many enemies in the past, other than the Akatsuki. Though it has been three years after the war, this village is still trying to rebuild its resources and its military strength. Right now, our clans are the bulk of the military force. We also make up at least a third of the intelligence and the medical divisions. This is the perfect time for the enemy to come forth and attempt an attack."

"If they did manage to take us out, that will reduce the village's defenses by more than half." Shibi murmured.

"That alone will cripple the village to a standstill." Shikamaru said, rubbing his head. "Not to mention the fact that it'll be catastrophic for the Allied Nations."

"Exactly." Hanabi sighed in defeat. "We have the imposter where we want him, but even so, we can't attack just yet, especially if the scouts are watching our every move. If we act carelessly, it will doom us all."

Everyone unanimously agreed on that fact, but they needed a strategy and fast. But even then, they lacked the knowledge needed to come up with a plan, and it was too risky to attempt to gain it. Hanabi was already running a gamble on her family's safety by having Haizo and the elders rummage through the impostor's belongings.

"We can get to him during the festival tonight." Choza suggested. "You did say before that his control over the jutsu is weakening." He paused and scratched his chin. "Contrariwise, the Hyuuga Compound is practically in the middle of town. If we do decide to corner him inside, there is no guarantee that the fight wouldn't spill into the streets."

"If that does happen, then it would make it seem like a conflict in between clans." Shibi mused. "That would give them an advantage, seeing as they could kill off the Hyuuga Clan and throw the blame on us, then hope to eliminate us once the Hokage and the village will no longer be in our favor."

"That seems to be the plan." Shikamaru sighed. He continued to rub the tension away from his neck. "Man, this is such a drag. I hate dealing with missing information."

"I do beg your pardon, Shikamaru." Hanabi apologized, "But we just can't risk it. Any more of this and we will lose the little chance we have to find and eliminate the threat."

"Yeah." Shikamaru sighed, "Especially with Lady Tsunade in the loop. She's already iffy on letting us handle it by ourselves."

"So, should we even show up to the festival?" Choji asked, his lips smacking as he stuffed his mouth full of beef jerky. "I mean, if these ninja are waiting to assassinate us, shouldn't we just stay home?"

Shino shook his head. "That would make it easier for them to hunt us down. Everyone will be focused on the festivities in the village, meaning that if something were to happen inside one's home, no one will notice until much later."

Hanabi nodded. "Shino is right. It's too risky to stay home. Besides, if we decide to hide, they will know. So, we will attend the festival, as before, but keep your eyes peeled for anything suspicious. We still don't know when they plan to attack."

Everyone agreed once again.

"Anything else we should discuss?" Shibi asked.

"Just one thing..." Hinata's voice finally spoke up. She looked at her sister dead in the eyes. "Is there even...the slightest chance that we can save father?"

The room deadened of all movement and sound. Even Choji stopped chewing down his food. Hanabi gazed back at her sister, her eyes saddened, and as cold as stone.

"No."

Hinata's heart sank. Nevertheless, her eyes matched Hanabi's, waiting for an explanation as to what had made her give up on her father.

But that explanation never came.

"We will keep you all posted if we find anything else." Hanabi concluded.

As the meeting adjourned and the men talked among themselves, Hanabi approached Hinata. Shino could sense her sadness, and it tugged at his heart just as painfully, yet when he tried to comfort her, Hanabi intervened.

"May I have a moment with my sister, please?" she asked.

Shino looked at the young Hyuuga and nodded, despite his anxiety. Without a word, he left Hinata's side and joined his father and the others outside of the room.

Hinata looked at her sister, too afraid to speak of what was haunting her mind. It had been nearly four weeks without a word of him. She knew Hanabi was just trying to be realistic, as she usually was, but it saddened, and even angered her a bit, that she would give up on her father so easily.

"I know what you have been thinking, Hinata." Hanabi's soft words broke through her thoughts, "But please, do not give up hope. We will find closure, I promise."

Hinata pitied herself for failing her clan and thus bringing its weight on Hanabi's shoulders. From the day Hiashi stripped Hinata of her title as heiress and bestowed it upon Hanabi, Hinata knew that Hanabi would grow up too fast. At seven years old, Hanabi was already carrying the responsibilities of an heiress, a shinobi, and a woman. Now, at nineteen, Hanabi Hyuuga was an old woman, her aging lavender eyes shadowed by dark circles from lack of sleep, and her confidence slowly turning into exhaustion. It broke Hinata's heart at how burdened her younger sister was, and how expelling all emotions from her young heart was slowly eating away at her.

Gently, she wrapped her arms around Hanabi and embraced her tightly.

"I will never give up hope, Hanabi." She whispered as she held back her tears.

She could feel Hanabi's arms return the gesture, and for the first time in forever, she listened to her silent cries.

"Forgive me." Hanabi sniffed, wiping her face on her sleeve. "I… I have just been so overwhelmed lately."

"Shh." Hinata soothed, rubbing her cheek.

After a moment of silence, Hanabi's head shifted to where her eyes locked with her eldest sister's.

"How do you do it?" she asked. "How can you be so resolute in these situations?"

Hinata smiled at her unusual question, and answered without hesitation. "Because I, too, have shed tears, sister."

Hanabi scoffed. "It is rather silly… how after all this time, I still manage to have tears to shed."

Hinata held her sister's chin firmly, and met her gaze with a smile. "There is no shame in crying, Hanabi. After all," her thumb grazed over her cheek, wiping away the last of her tears, "it's what makes us human."


	14. Chapter 14

"Oh, Hinata, you look absolutely beautiful!" Shiva beamed.

Hinata blushed as she stood in front of her in a pink and lavender komon styled kimono with various patterns embroidered in lime green. The rest of the Aburame ladies, young and old, stopped their preparatory activity to gaze at her in awe.

Her dark hair was braided into a single, loose ponytail, which was tied together by a lavender bow. On the right side, her hair bore several flower pins, all of which were in white.

"I agree." Minara smiled as she combed through Makuro's hair. "A princess would turn green with envy at the sight of you, Hinata."

Hinata's blush darkened. "O-oh, s-stop." She stammered shyly, her fingers prodding each other in her usual nervous gesture.

"I think you look like an angel, Hinata-san." Makuro smiled as she played with a stray ribbon.

The women around her agreed with a nod. Shiva danced circles around Hinata as she tied her obi sash into a big bow.

"There." Shiva smiled as she looked at her from head to toe.

Hinata smiled back as Shiva tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"That's the best work I have ever done with anyone, if I do say so myself." Shiva stated with pride.

"Th-thank you f-for helping me, Shiva-san." Hinata bowed her head in thanks.

"You're very welcome, dear!" Shiva replied, smiling from ear to ear.

"Yes, yes, she's very beautiful, fish mouth. Now, please get dressed, you're always the dead last in these things." Midori sneered.

Shiva's expression soured as she grabbed Midori by her top's shoulder straps.

"One more word out of you, you mongrel runt. Just one more word." She seethed, the veins popping from her temples and her hands.

"Belligerent bullfrog." Midori snapped.

"Homunculus imbecile."

"Stick-bug!"

"Warthog!"

_"Four eyed leech!"_

_"Stout-faced nag!"_

Hinata and the rest of the Aburame ladies watched as Shiva and Midori wrestled each other. They literally reminded Hinata of Sakura and Ino and their constant name-calling quarrels. She giggled as Shino's great-aunt, Tarene, who was a small-statured elderly woman, approached the two females and snatched them down by the ears with relative ease. The two winced in pain as the old woman tightened her grip.

"Now, now," she crooned sternly, "this is not the proper way for a lady to behave, much less in front of children and guests."

Shiva and Midori glared viciously at each other, but sighed in defeat and mellowed. Shino's great-aunt released her grip, making both women straighten their posture and rub their ears to soothe the pain.

"Now, make haste and get ready. We do not wish to be late."

They grumbled as they went about with their own preparations. Tarene turned to Hinata and walked up to her.

"Do forgive that horrible display." She began, "They do take pleasure in quarreling with each other."

"O-oh, it's q-quite alright." Hinata reassured her.

Tarene smiled as she took Hinata's hand and patted it inside her own. Hinata looked at the small woman and noticed a tingling sensation on her arms. She looked down and saw that her hands were specked with Tarene's kikaichu.

"Hm… Ahh, so his kikaichu have chosen you." She murmured.

Hinata cocked an eyebrow as Tarene's gaze drifted from their hands to her face.

"W-what do you mean?" Hinata asked.

"Do you not smell it on your skin, young one?" Tarene asked.

_Smell it on my skin…?_ Hinata slowly brought her hand close to her face and without harming Tarene's insects, sniffed her wrist. She blinked at the slight, yet peculiarly musky scent that entered her nostrils. Tarene smiled sweetly at Hinata's befuddled expression.

"Oh, you'll figure it out soon enough, starling." Tarene patted her hands as the insects receded back into her sleeves.

Hinata gazed at the old woman and slightly nodded her head. What could she mean by that, she wondered.

It did not take much longer for the other women to finish. They all made their exit together, chatting happily about the festival and the many new activities it would contain. As the women made their way downstairs, Hinata felt herself being drawn back from the group. She cast a glance at Shino's bedroom door.

_Could he be in there?_

Deliberately, she approached the door and knocked. After a moment, the doorknob clicked and the door opened, revealing Shino on the other side. He was already dressed, though it looked like he was still in the process of taming his unruly hair. A third of it was brushed neatly with gel, but the other two thirds were either matted down or poking out in every direction. Hinata bit her lip as she stifled a giggle. Shino sighed as his cheeks blazed with a bright blush.

"I was working on it." He said as he cleared his throat.

"I see." Hinata smiled. "What happened to your?"

Shino stepped aside to let her in. "The unfortunate outcome of letting your elder cousin give you advice on how to brush your hair."

Hinata snorted, covering her mouth with her palm. "You actually listened to him?"

Shino blushed. "He was…very unwaveringly persuasive. As you can see, he even went as far as demonstrating his advice to me."

Shino turned his back to her as her beautiful form heaved with laughter.

"Here, let me help." Hinata offered with a giggled.

He froze. "I'm well capable of tending to it on my own, Hinata."

"I'm sure you are, Shino-kun." She smiled, "But by the time you finished, you'll be left behind."

Shino sighed in defeat as Hinata sat him down on the floor next to the foot of the bed. She grabbed the gel and the comb and sat down on the bed. Before she began, she examined the "damage" while trying not to giggle too much.

"It's not…so bad." She began as she dabbed her hands inside the jar of hair gel and ran them through Shino's hair.

"You don't have to lie." Shino grumbled.

Hinata giggled as she comed her way through his hair.

"Ow." He winced half-heartedly.

"Sorry." Hinata bit her lip once more.

It wasn't every day that Hinata got to comb Shino's bushy hair. It was fun, but difficult as well. She had no experience dealing with thick hair, since her family's hair was board-straight and lacy. Her inexperience in that field earned her a few hisses and a few "ow"'s, to which she apologized for.

Shino was thankful that she offered to help, but right now he just wanted her to finish, and quickly. He could tell by the way she tugged and pulled that she had no experience with his type of hair, and he couldn't blame her for that. It wasn't her fault that his hair was a tangled mess even on a good day, but the least she could do was try to be a bit gentler.

The few and excruciating moments passed by until Hinata patted his shoulder.

"There." She said.

Shino sighed with relief. Hinata blushed as the two got up on their feet. Shino ran a hand through his hair, easing the burning sensation that still gnawed at his scalp.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you, Shino." Hinata apologized, her fingers beginning to poke each other in her usual habit.

"It is fine, Hinata." Shino reassured her, "It is not your fault."

Hinata smiled. Shino could not help but gaze at her. In her present wardrobe, she was absolutely stunning. Though, he noticed that something else was catching her attention. Her eyes had suddenly drifted from him to the bookcase behind him. He instinctively gulped down the lump in his throat. However, Shino's body relaxed after she moved past him to have a closer look to the contents of the bookcase.

He turned around and heard her gasp in surprise as she looked at a particular jar. His eyes widened. The caterpillar, which had been enveloped in its comfortable cocoon for weeks now, was starting to break through. Once the butterfly emerged from the cocoon, it rested on the bottom of the jar.

"Wow…" Hinata breathed, her hand touching the jar in a gentle fashion. "It's beautiful."

The butterfly had black, green, and yellow coloring to its wings, and its body was black and a bright yellow. Shino smiled at the rare specimen.

"I'm sure I haven't seen butterflies like this one here, Shino." Hinata said, still fixing her eyes upon it.

"They are found further down south of the village." Shino replied, "I managed to save it from a bird on one of our missions. It's an _ornithoptera goliath_ from the looks of it."

"What?"

Shino cleared his throat, a bit embarrassed by his know-it-all vocabulary. "A goliath birdwing."

"Oh." Hinata looked at the butterfly a bit closely. "But, it doesn't look that big."

He smiled. "It will, once its wings are dry and… fluffier."

Hinata giggled at Shino's use of the word. Even if he knew that others did not understand most of his verbose speeches or explanations, he never transitioned to a simpler usage. It sounded a bit funny, coming from the tall Aburame. She blushed when he turned to look at her, a nervous smile on his face.

"So all it needs is plenty of sunlight and rest, right?" she asked.

Shino nodded. "I will set him near the window tonight so that he will be able to get the sunlight he needs tomorrow morning."

Hinata nodded. The two ninjas noticed the light within the room dim down as the sun hid behind the tree line.

"We should get going." Shino stated.

"Right." Hinata replied, following him out of the room.

* * *

><p>The town was showered with paper streamers and vibrant decorations. The streets were lined with various types of vendors. They had everything from weaponry, children's toys, and clothing to adoptable pets and food. They even had a small playground, of sorts, set up for the children.<p>

Hinata was expecting to see Shino's younger cousins hog-pile the playground, but was surprised to see the children in a group of their own, hands at their sides with monotonous expressions as they examined their new surroundings.

"What is wrong with them?" Hinata whispered to Shino.

Shino fought the smile that crept up to his lips. "They only show their true nature inside the Aburame manor. Outside our clan's walls, we are one in the same."

Hinata looked at the rest of the clan, who were slowly dispersing in every direction and noticed that they all bore the same stoic expression.

"They were so excited to come." Hinata said, almost in a disappointed voice.

"And they are." Shino nodded his head at the direction of his cousins.

The small group of children were being guided around by Shami and three of Shino's other cousins, the younger ones visibly jittering with excitement as their elder family members walked them through the various animal cages.

Hinata smiled as each child took with them either a rabbit or a cat, save for the youngest (and smallest) of the group, Shiho, who had chosen the lone iguana that was amongst the many mammals in the vendor's booth.

Shino and Hinata chuckled to themselves as they walked about. They managed to run into Shikamaru and Temari in one of the food kiosks with Choji, and Ino, who was with Kiba. The males nodded at them, except for Kiba, who gave them the toothiest of grins. But that grin turned into a grimace along with Shikamaru and Choji's expressions as the females continued to badger them about who was the fairer blonde of the two.

Shino shivered inwardly at the poor men's situation and thanked his rarely lucky stars that Hinata was not a vain woman.

They saw plenty of other people, like Rock Lee and Might Guy, who were impressing a group of children with how many hand-stand push-ups they could do in less than fifteen minutes, as well as their sensei, Kurenai, and her three year old daughter, Asumi.

Then they saw Tenten with Kankuro by her side. They acknowledge them with a smile, much to their surprise, though they did not stay to chat. As soon as Kankuro opened his mouth to greet them, he was forcibly dragged off to another clothing kiosk.

"A very-" Hinata began.

"Unusual match?" Shino finished her sentence as he turned his head in her direction.

Hinata nodded. She did not know much from Kankuro, aside from the fact that he was one of the Sand Siblings, the trio that Team 8 had feared the most during the Chuunin Exams. They had changed so much during the years that they no longer seemed so scary.

They, like Shino, Kiba, Naruto, and Hinata herself, were just misunderstood, and where the Leaf ninja had strived to push through those negative feelings, the Sand ninja had embraced them as things that could not be changed, until they stepped in and made a change.

When it was apparent that the intervention changed the Sand Siblings for the better, Hinata knew that people were never set in stone. It just took the right people and the right situations to make a change.

"Are you alright, Hinata?" Shino whispered.

Hinata snapped out of her reverie and looked up at the tall man.

"I'm fine." Hinata answered. Her eyebrow quirked up, "Why do you ask?"

She must have been lost in thought for a long time, because he didn't answer right away. Then she noticed him shift uncomfortably.

"What is it?" she asked again.

He shook his head. "Nothing. You were quiet for quite a while."

"Oh." Hinata looked down for a moment as they kept walking. "Shino, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Hinata breathed softly. "I've noticed the smell."

Shino froze. Everything seemed so distant now that his nerves went on overdrive. What will she do? What will she say? _What do I do?!_

* * *

><p>The festival ended with a healthy dose of colorful fireworks. Hanabi slowly made her way back into the Compound. She knew that the impostor would be waiting, but she also knew that it was nothing out of the normal for her to be out if there was a festival. Still, the darkness made her feel anxious. She just wanted to tell him she was home and head to her room.<p>

As she passed the hallway to the common room, she heard a whimper. She stopped to listen, noticing that the sound continued, and it was far from pleasant. Gulping, Hanabi went towards the sound and gasped as a tall, very wide and stocky figure blocked her way. She gazed at the figure with horror and stepped back as it slowly approached her. She gasped again as she bumped into another figure behind her, and attempted to scream as the figure grasped her arm tightly, but was quickly silenced by the assailant's hand. The figure nearly dragged her inside the gathering hall, where the Hiashi impostor stood over Haizo.

Tears flowed down her face as the faint lights that poured through thinly curtained windows revealed Haizo's mangled body twitching violently as the impostor kicked him. He whimpered again as his body convulsed from the impact. Blood seeped from his mouth, nose, and torso.

"You have been quite the naughty girl, Hanabi." Hiashi rasped, a sinister grin forming across his pale, distorted face.


	15. Chapter 15

The sounds of cheering and booming fireworks grew dimmer as Shino and Hinata neared the Aburame manor. The walk was indulged in sweet silence, but it wasn't like any of them minded. The two introverts understood each other without saying a word.

Shino could feel Hinata's delicate figure press up against his side, her arms intertwining with his own as a cold breeze whipped through. His heart skipped two beats at her sudden gesture, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he held her closer, pulling the outer layer of his kimono around her to shield her from the wind.

Hinata smiled, fully enjoying the warmth she felt, despite her companion's unusually cool touch.

"So," Hinata spoke after a while, "your insects can tell who your soulmate is?"

"Something like that." Shino replied. "When the kikaichu make their choice, it means that they have had enough time to weigh the possibilities." He blushed, "It must've happened when you fell asleep in my room…"

Hinata looked up at Shino, who was opening the door for her. He looked tense. Embarrassed, even. She smiled as she held his hand.

"Shino, you should have told me earlier." She whispered, but rubbed his hand to soothe his sudden rigidness.

Shino remained silent, drawing his comfort from the gentle, circular motion of Hinata's hands against his.

"It sounds…bad." He whispered sadly.

She understood. If any other woman had heard what he had just revealed to her, they would have screamed and vowed to never leave the privacy of their bathroom. She knew he knew that she loved him, but she also knew that he still felt insecure about many things.

The two walked into the manor and headed upstairs.

"I'll leave you to rest, Hinata." Shino murmured.

Hinata's hands tightened around his. "Shino, you don't have to be insecure around me."

He turned to her. "It's not that, Hinata."

"Then what?" she blushed at her sudden outburst, but pushed on. "If it is about your bugs, Shino… I don't…care."

She prodded her fingers against each other. Hinata knew that Shino wasn't glaring at her, but she still could not help bowing her head in submission as her burst of courage suddenly ended, and her nervous stutter began.

"Th-They're part of you, Sh-Shin-Shino. I…I wouldn't f-feel the way I do a-about you if you were anything other than what you are."

Shino hesitated before his hands grasped around hers and pulled her close.

"I'm no good with situations…like these, Hinata." He murmured.

"Neither am I." She replied.

"You would be better off with someone like Naruto."

Hinata blinked at his response. Why would Shino bring him up?

"W-why…would you say that?"

Shino hesitated again. True, they were friends, but when it came down to Hinata, Naruto had walked all over Shino's bad side, so it was rather difficult for him to explain his statement to her without making it sound like he was being a jerk.

"He doesn't have any insecurities at all." He finally spoke with a shrug, "After all, you did admire him for the longest, with good reason. He inspired you to make yourself stronger, whereas I never really gave you inspiration for anything. Who wouldn't want to be with a guy that makes you love yourself?"

Hinata was never really the type to sass to anyone, but she couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.

"Shino… that was years ago." Hinata took off his glasses and stared into his dark eyes. "And if you think that Naruto has no insecurities, then you don't know him as much as you think you do."

Shino bit his lip as he turned his gaze away from her. "Forgive me."

Hinata smiled. She turned his face gently with her hand, fixing her eyes upon his once more.

"He did inspire me, Shino. Because of him, I am stronger, but…" she fiddled with the collar of his kimono. "I knew long ago I would never catch his eye. Compared to the others, I was invisible to him. But not to you." She smiled sweetly.

"You were always there for me when Naruto was not. In your own way, you made me love myself."

The more Shino listened to her, the more he realized he was being just like her. He was beating himself up by comparing himself to Naruto, even when he knew that no two people were alike.

"And because of that, I learned to love you, Shino." Hinata brought his palm to her cheek and held it there.

Shino stroked her cheek with his thumb and gave her a small smile before pulling her into an embrace. "I love you too, Hinata."

Hinata took his hand and tugged at it, pulling him towards his room, and before either one could realize what was happening, they were on the bed. Shino's every kiss and caress were carefully executed. He was afraid that he would hurt her if he acted too brashly, considering the fact that her body still bore the bruises earned from their training. He was even more afraid at the thought of her leaving him because of a wrong move.

Hinata sighed softly as Shino's lips grazed over her collarbone while his hand stroked the back of her neck. She smiled at his uncertainty. It was not like him to be uncertain of anything. So when he did not make his move, she proceeded, and with a few gentle pulls, she had managed to take off the top half of his kimono.

Her small, delicate hands trailed over Shino's shoulders and his sculpted chest as he balanced himself over her. He could feel his hands shake as they trailed over the opening of her clothes. This was it; what he had always fantasized about. Yet, despite all of his teenage fantasies about Hinata, he couldn't will himself to do it. This was the real thing, after all, and he didn't feel as confident.

Hinata giggled softly as she sat up and kissed him. When they pulled away, Shino realized that he no longer felt the fabric of her kimono, and froze when he noticed that as they had kissed, Hinata had pulled it off completely. His mouth suddenly went dry, the sound of his rapid heartbeat filling his ears.

She was absolutely beautiful. The way he had pictured her in his mind's eye was nothing compared to how she looked now. Oh, how he tried to keep his gaze on her face, but it was impossible. Her supple body could not be ignored, especially how it was now revealed in its entirety before him.

"Hinata." He rasped, his throat tightening, while something else was hardening.

She did not say a word. Instead, she pressed herself against him, shivering slightly at his skin's cool touch, and making him gasp as her nipples budded against his torso.

Shino's breathing quickened as her hands trailed down to the rest of his clothing. Hinata stopped, and he could see that her hands were trembling. Then they tugged forcefully. He obliged with her gesture, and soon, the two of them were exposed to each other.

Neither one would make an advance on the other. They were completely frozen in place, gazing at one another, their skin flushed with the darkest of blushes. But a move had to be made.

Hinata slowly wrapped her arms around Shino's waist and brought him down with her. She half expected him to comment on her heartbeat. She could hear it thunder through her every time he touched her.

"It's….okay, Shino." She whispered.

"Are you…sure?" He asked.

She smiled and nodded. Hesitantly, but confidently their lips clashed again, their bodies pressing against one another with a blazing need. Hinata mewed slightly as she felt Shino's erection grind against her there, and gasped as her body responded to the touch. Her lips parted as Shino's tongue slithered inside, wrestling her own for dominance.

Shino felt her fingers tangle themselves in his hair, her nails grazing his scalp, making him shiver while her other hand rested against his lower abdomen. She tasted so sweet. He wondered if the rest of her body tasted just as sweet as her mouth. And so he began.

He dragged his tongue down to her chest, then in between her breasts, and then to her stomach, where he nipped at her taut belly. Hinata giggled nonstop as he used both his tongue and his teeth on her lower torso and her hips with a smile.

His hands lifted her legs, firmly grasping her bottom before continuing to explore every inch of her with his tongue.

Hinata sighed contentedly at his movements. This moment was so exhilarating that it was making her head spin, but she managed to calm herself by his soft touch. She blushed intently as he stopped at the tip of her toes and went back up to her hips. He kissed around her hips before stopping at her womanhood.

Shino looked up at her, as if asking for permission. Hinata stroked his hair and nodded, then gasped as his tongue ran along her opening.

He groaned as he tasted her. She was so wet, so sweet, that he had almost lost it. Her scent alone kept driving him nearer and nearer to the edge. But he regained control and reminded himself that this was not about him. It was about her, and her alone. He would get his chance later.

He was so aroused it hurt, but he had to keep himself under control for her sake. He balanced himself on his knees and brought her lower body up to him, keeping her steady with his arms. His ears were filled with Hinata's moans and gasps as he tasted, sucked, and nipped at her.

Hinata had never felt this way before. Every stroke of his tongue was adding fuel to the flame that was already clawing at her. She gasped as Shino's mouth clamped over her, his tongue continuing its onslaught on her body. Her hips moved with every lap of his tongue, her hands rubbing against his thighs.

He rubbed her stomach, finding her clitoris and vigorously suckled on it. He groaned when Hinata's moans crescendoed as she hit her climax, her sweet spot bursting in his mouth like a fresh, summer fruit. Her hips bucked against his mouth as he flickered his tongue over her bud, her heightened moans and mews echoing inside Shino's ears.

Hinata breathed heavily as her body slowly relaxed against Shino's. She had never experienced anything like this before, but the look of hunger and need that Shino gave her told her that it was far from over.

"Sh-Shino?" she breathed.

"Hm?"

She looked down at him as he set her back down on the bed, her chest rising and falling with each breath. "B-be gentle w-with me…"

He looked at her and smiled. "Of course, Hinata…" he whispered, rubbing his nose against the crook of her neck.

She almost purred as he kissed her neck. Slowly, deliberately, he entered her, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. Shino groaned as he tried to be as gentle as possible with her, but his kikaichu and his desperate need for her were begging him to quicken his pace.

Mindlessly, a painful gasp escaped her as her nails caught the skin on his back. He grit his teeth and stopped.

"I'm sorry…" he breathed.

Hinata gazed at him, her body heaving with large intakes of air. Oh, how he loved the way she looked at him with those moon-like eyes of hers.

"I… I know it'll…hurt." She gasped, wrapping her legs around his hips, "J-just do it!"

Shino gulped as he continued to push his cock deep inside her. Hinata whimpered again as Shino's body demanded access to her own, yet for some reason, her body resisted the intrusion. The more he tried to enter, the more it hurt.

"Shino…." She breathed shakily.

Shino soothed her until he finally managed to fill her completely. The way her womanhood tightened around him was too much to bear, but yet again, he regained control. He knew it was their first time, but he wanted to avoid eternal shame and regret more than anything.

Hinata controlled her breathing. Was he always this…big? Every breath made her feel her pulse, even more so between her thighs. Her mouth suddenly went dry as she moaned again, feeling Shino pump in and out of her slowly.

Shino hissed through gritted teeth. She felt absolutely amazing. He quickened his pace, his hips grinding down against her. Hinata held onto his shoulders, her gasps and moans growing louder and louder with each thrust.

The sounds she made were pushing him ever closer to a climax of his own. But he just couldn't will himself to make his release. Instead, he kept up his pace while his other hand reached in between them and searched for her sweet spot. He finally found it, and ran his thumb against it.

Hinata's body arched against him as the two slammed against each other. Shino finally lost his grip on self-control as Hinata tightened around him once more. They moaned as they reached their release together. The room suddenly went silent as Shino laid against Hinata, their bodies heaving for much needed air.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, my first shot at a lemony chapter, sooo...hopefully it's not too bad ^^; critiques are welcome :3<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

Hinata ran her hands up and down Shino's back as he planted gentle kisses on her neck. They were still damp from the shower they had just taken, which had also involved a third round. The memory brought a fresh blush on Hinata's cheek. She was till surprised that she had the energy to even think about a third round.

"Is there something wrong?" Shino whispered.

"Hm?" Hinata looked at his black eyes and noticed the concern.

"You suddenly tensed."

Hinata blinked. Had she?

"Am I putting too much weight on you?" he asked.

"O-oh! No, no, you're fine." Hinata replied with a smile. "I was just…thinking."

Shino smiled against her skin. He could tell she was exhausted. "About?"

"Well… It's just that I'm still surprised at how we even managed in the shower…" she blushed, "I was afraid we would slip."

Shino laughed softly. "Nonsense. I wouldn't allow it."

"I know, but it is something worth thinking about." Hinata continued to stroke Shino's back. "It would have been a very interesting thing if your family had walked in and found us head over heels in the bathroom."

"It's a good thing that they're still on the way back from the festival." He laughed, continuing his previous task.

But he felt her tense again. He looked at her face and blinked at her sudden mortification. He was sure that her eyes would have drilled a hole into whatever she was looking into. He followed her gaze and realized she was staring at his clock. It was almost five thirty in the morning.

"Shino…" she paled. "The festival ended half an hour before midnight… and it's only a twenty minute walk from here to town."

Shino's jaw slackened at her realization. She was right. They had been making love for almost five hours, and not once had they thought about their companions. Before his mind could even focus on the possibilities, both bad and worse, the two ninjas almost jumped out of their skin. Shiva had kicked open the door to Shino's room, sporting a tank top and some shorts and the biggest, cheekiest smile she had in her arsenal.

"Well, I see the two of you have… _awakened!" _her voice boomed.

Shino had frozen completely. From his aunt's perspective, he was still on top of Hinata, and they were both naked. Hinata had never seen him so petrified before. But as soon as she noticed Shiva laughing, her face flared up in its darkest shade ever.

"I knew it was just a matter of time!" Shiva giggled and paced back and forth, tapping her chin, "Ooohhh! I'm so excited! I have to start preparing for a wedding! I have to talk to Shibi and Shimuro to see what we can do about building a whole wing of the manor for yourselves… and the baby shower!"

She cringed and dodged as Shino threw a thick scroll at her. "Hey! You almost hit me! That's not polite, you know!" She ducked again as Shino threw various other objects at her and grabbed for more.

"And neither is your snooping!" he bellowed, throwing books, scrolls, and even jars at his aunt. "Get out!"

As soon as she had ran out of the room, he jumped to his feet and slammed the door shut. He leaned against it, breathing heavily as slid down to a sitting position on the floor. Hinata sat up, holding the blankets close over her chest, and looked at Shino.

"S-Shino?" Hinata asked softly.

No reply.

After a moment, Hinata saw him exhale as he locked the door and returned to the bed. She embraced him and couldn't help but laugh. Shino stared incredulously at her and shook his head.

"Leave it to my family to act irrationally." He sulked.

Hinata giggled as she continued to rub his back. "Honestly… It's not as bad as it looks."

He gave her a look, to which she smiled and got him to lie down. "It could have been worse." She shrugged. "At least she seems…ecstatic."

Shino sighed. He was definitely never going to live this one down with her. But Hinata did have a point. It could have been _much _worse. He wrapped his arms around her and rest his head against the crook of her neck.

"Yeah… you're right." He murmured.

Hinata smiled and kissed his forehead. "Don't the garden's bloom today?"

Shino nodded. "Actually, everyone should be waking up soon… That is, if they actually had any sleep."

They blushed. What an interesting event indeed.

"Should we be getting ready, then?" she asked sheepishly.

Shino smiled and kissed her jaw. "Yeah… might as well."

He stood and rummaged through his closet. Hinata bit her lip as she stared at his backside with a blush. She was so busy staring at him that she didn't notice that he had already put on a pair of shorts. He then turned to her with a separate pair of shorts and a sweatshirt.

"Thank you." Hinata smiled.

Shino smiled as well and nodded as he handed her the clothes. Once they were both dressed, they sat on the bed, their hands intertwined until the toll of the clock resonated through the room, alerting them of the time.

"Shino?" Hinata began.

"Hm?"

Hinata looked down at her lap. "I'm scared." She turned Shino's palm over and over between her own. "I want to believe that father's alright, but…"

Shino hushed her and held her close. "I understand, Hinata. You have every right to be scared, but being afraid now will not help neither of you." He kissed her head and tried to soothe her quiet sniffles. "The best thing to do now is just have faith…"

She nodded and took a deep breath. "You're right…"

Shino gazed up at the clock. It marked the hour as 5:05 in the morning. There was not much else left to do regarding the preparations for the Clan's rituals, except for setting up the ritual itself and the after-event activities. He reached over to the nightstand and picked up his glasses and placed them on. It was then that he noticed that her bruises along her arms were not covered by the sweatshirt.

He stood and walked over to his dresser. There, he rummaged through the contents and pulled out a roll of gauze, some medical tape, and a pair of scissors.

Suddenly, a loud, hissing noise filled his ears. He quickly turned around, dropped the items he had collected, and grabbed Hinata's wrist. Hinata, on the other hand, was completely confused at his sudden action.

"Shino? Are you alright?" she asked.

"The insects that guard our property have issued an alarm." He responded quickly as he led her out of his room.

"Alarm?" Hinata repeated, "But why?"

"Someone has crossed into our boundaries, and by no means are they friendly."

"Well, aren't you the smart one?" a nasal voice echoed through the hall.

They gasped and stopped in their tracks. The floor before them rose as if it was a fluid-like substance being sucked into a vacuum. The floor then took the silhouette of a person, and then the details began to form. It was soon revealed to them that the voice belonged to a woman with dark hair. Shino tightened his grip around Hinata's wrist and kept her close behind him, his body coiling up like a spring.

"We have some business with the two of you." She said with a smile, "Where's your father… Shino?"

The woman gasped as a swarm of insects wrapped around her body. She hissed slightly as they began to squeeze themselves around her.

"Entering someone's home without bothering to knock. That's very rude of you." Shimuro stated curtly.

She turned to find both Shibi and Shimuro, kunai knives drawn. Shiva and the rest of the Aburame Clan were forming the background, their insects swarming around them. Her eyes widened as they focused on the two Aburame males.

_There's two of them!?_

"I didn't come here to be polite." She sneered.

"We figured as much." Shibi replied.

The sneer on her face widened as her body liquefied again and managed to get out of the insects' hold. It then re-shaped into its normal form and faced the brothers.

"I didn't come here to play nice, either."

"Shino!" Hinata gasped, turning around so that her back pressed against his.

He turned his head to find that a taller, slender figure of a man had blocked the entrance of his room. He snickered as he approached, but froze when Hinata activated her Byakugan.

"Ah, so this is the other Hyuuga brat." He mused. "Your father and sister would be very happy to see you."

Hinata's eyes widened at him. "What did you do to them!?" she demanded.

"Oh, no need to fret, love." He snickered. "You'll join them soon enough."

"I don't think so." Shino seethed as his insects formed a wall between the man and Hinata.

"Don't be so cross." The woman chuckled, "You'll be with them as well."

_"Look out!"_

Shino couldn't tell who it was who hollered, but it was muffled out by the sound of another figure, a large, heavy-set one, crashing through the wall and bringing down its fists.

One of the Aburame brothers pushed the other out of the way.

The manor shook with an ear-splitting scream as the figure slammed its fists down on the Aburame's shoulder. It then kicked him, making his body crash through the railing and down to the floor below.

Something snapped inside of Hinata. She pushed Shino out of the way.

_"Eight Trigram Sixty-Four Palms!"_

Two.

The woman was in her range and sharply breathed when Hinata closed two chakra points on her shoulder.

Four.

Everything was thrown into chaos as the other Aburame clashed with the intruders.

Eight.

Shino had managed to get rid of the man behind his wall of insects, distracting him long enough to get behind him and snap his neck.

Sixteen.

Tamiri and Shami had used a Summoning Jutsu, bringing two giant bull-horn beetles to apprehend the heavy-set man while Shouma and Tarene drained his chakra.

Thirty-Two.

A fourth figure had come into play, dodging and weaving through the frenzy.

Sixty-Four.

The woman's body collapsed before Hinata.

The bulkier figure had shattered Tamiri and Shami's Summoning Jutsu and swatted them away, as well as Shouma and Tarene. Shami broke their fall with his insects and froze as the figures huge hand tightened around his throat.

_"Ninja Art: Iron Maiden Jutsu!"_

The figure screamed as thousands of large, sharp Senbon needles pierced his body from every angle until he dropped Shami and fell to the ground. Shami looked back to see his mother, Midori, white-hot rage clear as day in her sea green eyes.

"You definitely chose the wrong Clan to mess with." She seethed.

Shami smiled at his mother and rose to his feet.

"Hinata, Shino, look out!" cried one of the children.

"Too late." Sung a ghostly voice.

Shino pushed Hinata out of the way and sharply gasped. A fourth figure had risen from the ground. The man's neck had extended in such a way that his head was now near Shino's ear, his mouth clamped firmly on Shino's shoulder.

Hinata attempted to move. She tried her hardest to fight, but she felt like she was glued to the floor. The man's eye was looking at her, his pupil shimmering with a reddish glow, but Hinata could not tell if it was an actual jutsu that he was using or a genjutsu. Either way, she was caught.

The man had released Shino as soon as he felt that all of his muscles convulsed with the stress they were put under. He licked the blood from his lips, smirking at how Shino was also under the same paralysis that Hinata was experiencing, even though he had not touched her.

Shino gritted his teeth at the sharp flow of pain that emanated from his shoulder. He felt the pain slowly spread throughout his neck and down his arms.

_I can't…move._

Shami snarled as he charged the man.

"A step further, and I'll kill him." He warned as he held Shimuro's body against his, a kunai pressed firmly against his throat. It was clear that he was unconscious.

Shami cursed, stopping dead in his tracks.

"Good job, Roku." The woman rasped. "Now, help me up so we can get out of here."

The man stood his ground. He made a hand sign and created three clones. Two of those clones knocked Shino and Hinata out while the third took Shimuro. The original walked over to the woman and placed his foot over her neck.

She gasped for air as he began to apply pressure. "What do you think you're doing!?"

"It's obvious you are of no use in your present condition. So, I'm doing you a favor." He snickered. "Consider this a life for a life for using my brother as bait."

He slammed his foot down on her neck, crushing her bones as well as her windpipe. He then faced the Aburame Clan, bouncing his kunai in his hand. His clones had already disappeared with their victims.

"If any of you so much as even attempt to follow me, I'll make sure to deliver them back to you in pieces."

And with that, he disappeared as well.

* * *

><p>Haze.<p>

Everything in Shino's mind was a complete haze. He felt drained. Even his eyelids seemed to be held closed by weights, but though every fiber of his being weighed down on him, he was conscious and alert. His insects were working on releasing him from whatever jutsu he was succumbed into.

While they worked, Shino tried to focus on the sounds of his surroundings. He heard leaves rustling in the wind, even though he didn't feel the breeze brush against him. Despite that, he concluded that they had to be somewhere in the forest from the nearness of the leaves' sound. In addition to that, he felt the presence of approximately eight individuals. He knew that at least four of those individuals were Hinata, her sister, her father, and Shimuro.

Then, he heard the first sign of conflict.

"You good for nothing imbeciles!" shrieked a male voice. "Can't you do anything right for once?!"

Shino knew that something about this voice sounded familiar. He knew he had heard him before, but he also knew it was not the man who had taken them.

"What are you babbling about, Mizuki?" demanded another male voice, who belonged to their captors. "I brought them, just like you asked."

_Mizuki?... The Academy Instructor? _

"I specifically said to bring the Heads and Heirs of the Noble Clans along with that loud-mouthed brat, Naruto. But the little idiot isn't here, is he!? You didn't even retrieve the lard asses from the Akimichi Clan, and you brought the wrong Aburame elder!"

"Either Aburame is fine." a female interrupted, who also held some familiarity. "Remember our deal, Mizuki."

"The deal was set on the grounds that my orders were to be followed!" Mizuki bellowed. "How is the plan going to work when I do not have the necessary hostages?! Moreover, how will it even continue now that all of the Clans know we are after them!?"

"Well, they don't necessarily know it's us." the other male piped in with nonchalance. "I made sure we were not followed. So we lay low for a while and finish these freaks off, what's the big deal? Plucking them out one by one is much more fun."

"You and your band of miscreants had the chance to eliminate _all _of them! That course ensured our safety!"

"The shinobi way is nothing close to safe." the female interjected, her voice coiling. "You of all people should know that. This will be no different. Besides, the hostages we have now are just the ones I needed."

"To hell with what you need, Suzumebachi." seethed Mizuki. "I paid you good money to do what I asked."

Shino cursed inwardly. It was indeed another playing field, and the game put Shino at a disadvantage. He remembered clearly Suzumebachi's ruthlessness and her hatred for his Clan. He was surprised that she had held off killing him and his uncle, but he knew she loved feeling superior to others, so it was probably some sick way of getting her pleasure before striking them down.

He felt himself grit his teeth when he heard Mizuki choking on his own saliva. Or was it his blood?

"Tch, a former ninja of the Leaf, with no abilities. Pathetic." Suzumebachi scoffed. "Since you've dragged us this far, I suppose it's fair to tell you the truth before you die."

"What..." Mizuki hissed.

"The truth is, we used you just to get our hands on these little birdies. There was no way we could have gotten as far as we did without your knowledge, even though the precious Leaf Village is in shambles. But these are all I need. So, there is no further need for you."

Shino's breath hitched as the sound of breaking bones filled his ears.

"So, Suzumebachi... what do you want us to do with them?"

"Now, we wait until they wake." she chuckled, "What I have in store for them will be better enjoyed when I can see the light flee their eyes. The Aburame will pay for all the grievances they have caused us." Her voice lowered to a sinister murmur. "And I'll make sure the Hyuugas get the same treatment."


	17. Chapter 17

"Shibi! For God's sake, Shibi, wake up!" Shiva breathed.

She frantically administered her brother's injuries. Besides being unconscious, his entire left shoulder was dislocated and had various other broken bones. Her hands glowed in a green light and healed his minor injuries.

"Tamiri! Alert Lady Tsunade!" Shiva ordered.

Without a word, Tamiri and another Aburame raced off to the village. Midori and Minara knelt next to Shiva and helped her with Shibi's injuries.

"Shami, is anyone else hurt?" Midori demanded.

"No." Shami replied, helping Tarene up to her feet. "Nothing but a few cuts. Everyone else is just a little shaken up."

"Good." Midori replied. "Get someone to help you set up a room in the Medical Wing, now."

* * *

><p>"Akamaru, please!" Kiba pleaded with irritation, "Slow down!"<p>

His morning had officially started on a bad note due to Akamaru's desperate and frantic actions. He had barely gotten dressed before Akamaru dragged him outside. He was sure something had spooked him, but he was still too drunk off of sleep to notice why he was so agitated.

Akamaru seemed to ignore him, making Kiba growl with frustration until someone bumped into him. The two ninjas clashed heads and fell, groaning. Akamaru stopped and barked in exasperation.

"Son of a bitch..." the other ninja groaned.

"Hey, hey, watch the literal insults, bud- Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru blinked and rubbed the side of his head. "Yeah. I didn't expect to bump into you at six in the morning." He remarked as he stood up and dusted himself off.

Kiba followed suit. "Yeah. Honestly, if it wasn't for Akamaru, I'd still be in be- OW!"

Akamaru had bit down on Kiba's hand and tugged hard on it. Kiba fell on his knees as Akamaru pulled one last time and released him.

"What the hell, man!?" Kiba yelped, but Akamaru had already ran off. "Akamaru!" He got back up to his feet and ran after him.

Shikamaru quirked an eyebrow and followed. "What's eating at him?"

"I don't know." Kiba replied, rubbing the back of his hand. "One minute, I'm asleep, and the next thing I know, the brute nearly suffocated me. Woke up to him jumping on my chest and nearly dragging me halfway down the street before he let me go."

Shikamaru snickered.

"So why are you up at 6 in the morning?" Kiba asked.

"I got called in by Lady Tsunade." Shikamaru responded.

Kiba knew by the tone of his response that Shikamaru was just as annoyed as he was about being awakened at this hour. "So, why aren't you heading to her office?" he asked.

"Coincidentally enough, Akamaru is leading us to the place where Lady Tsunade requested me to meet her." Shikamaru answered.

Kiba gave him a blank look until he realized the road Akamaru was taking. It was an alternate route than what he usually took, but he recognized it as a narrow path in the forest, and its only destination was the Aburame Manor.

"Shino's home?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah." Shikamaru's expression darkened. "His family was attacked around the same time Choji's family was early this morning. I had just left Choji's house when I received a message from one of Shino's relatives, telling me that Tsunade had asked for me to meet her at their manor."

"Is Choji alright?" he asked.

"Better than alright, thankfully." Shikamaru answered. "Nervous, of course, but as usual, he was stuffing his face with jerky when I came in."

Kiba nodded. "And Shino's Clan?"

Shikamaru frowned. "His relative didn't say much, except that Tsunade wanted us there."

"Us?" Kiba raised an eyebrow.

"You sure are curious today." Shikamaru chuckled, then grew serious. "Yeah. I was on my way over to your house before we locked horns with each other."

Kiba chuckled. "Literally."

Shikamaru smiled, but it was soon replaced with a ponderous expression. Kiba looked at him. He was certain there wasn't anything to worry about. He knew as well as anyone that the Aburame were not one to mess with. Kiba had to be completely out of his mind to doubt that. Then again, he had never seen Shikamaru look so...worried about anything before. Nervousness and worry began to prickle the back of his neck.

Kiba knew Akamaru wasn't freaking out on coincidence. The only other time he had recalled seeing him so scared was when they first encountered the Sand Siblings in the Forest of Death. It was the only time until now where he couldn't decipher what he was trying to say to him. Kiba gulped and hoped that everyone was alright.

It wasn't long before Akamaru sprinted through the gates of the Aburame Manor with Kiba and Shikamaru. The two ninjas gaped at the open gates. Sure enough, someone had breached them by force, and the little, vibrant shells that housed the colonies of the Aburame Clan's guard bugs had fallen from their places onto the ground, where they shattered. Kiba's heart sank as he broke into a sprint with Akamaru.

"Hinata... Shino..." he murmured frantically.

Kiba could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as they entered the Manor. He did not remember it being this dark, nor this quiet. It was as if some force had sucked the secret liveliness of the Aburame's household.

"I don't understand." Shikamaru whispered. He sure as hell did not want to disturb whatever force held the place in monotony. "They told me she'd be here."

Kiba stuck his nose in the air and sniffed.

"They're here." Kiba confirmed.

Akamaru seemed to have calmed down a bit, but ran off before Kiba had a chance to say where they were. Kiba and Shikamaru followed Akamaru into the main room, where they stared at the damage of the grand stairway. There was a giant hole on the wall of the second floor, and the railing before the hole was destroyed, its remains lying on a dent on the ground before them.

Before they could analyze the damage further, Akamaru had them running past the stairway and into an open door. The open door led down to a set of stairs, which also led to a long corridor with many rooms. Still, Akamaru did not stop at any of the doors. Instead, he kept running down until he found another set of stairs that led down.

"Where the hell is he going?" Shikamaru asked.

"The medical wing must be somewhere down here." Kiba answered as he sniffed around.

"What?"

They went down yet another set of stairs as Kiba explained.

"I used to come here with Hinata to learn a bit of medical ninjutsu. Granted, I never learned to do anything except stitch and bandage a wound, but Shino once told us that the medical wing, along with most of the living quarters in the manor were built underground, like burrows, since their home is the most vulnerable during an ambush. We asked if we could go help his aunt there, but he said nobody but the medical specialists were allowed down here. Supposedly this underground network held all sorts of booby traps in case the living quarters above ground were attacked, but I guess they've been disabled."

"How do you know?" Shikamaru asked.

"Curious, eh?" Kiba snickered, reminiscent of their trek down the path. "Well, to make a long story short, we would've been dead the moment we walked down the first set of stairs."

"Fair enough." Shikamaru replied.

They reached the Medical Wing just as Tsunade walked out of one of the many doors with Shizune, Tonton, and three other Aburame medical specialists. Kiba looked through the handful of Aburame that crowded the hall, feeling his heart sink when they were all faces, or rather hooded figures, that he did not recognize. Moreover, Hinata was nowhere to be seen. Kiba realized then that for once in his life, he felt the feeling of helplessness.

* * *

><p>Hinata stirred from her black-out by the gentle vibration of some object in her ear.<p>

_"Keep your eyes closed."_ it buzzed.

Her heart accelerated as she obeyed the anonymous command.

_"Listen, Hinata-san,"_ commanded the murmur, _"We are in a dangerous situation. The moment we wake is the moment they will torture us. You must keep very still and you must keep your eyes closed at all costs."_

Hinata gulped slightly as her body became rigid. She resisted the urge to let out a shiver as the vibration ceased. Due to that, she was able to hear the rustle of leaves and a various combination of voices.

"Come on," a male voice retorted. "I'm getting tired of waiting. Can't we just kill them all now?"

She heard the signs of a chuckle as the response. "Agreed. Let's get started then."

Hinata's heart dropped as a rumbling vibration enveloped her. Without a second thought, her eyes snapped open to see a wall of insects slowly towering above her. Shino was soon at her side, untying her wrists and her ankles.

"Shino!"

"No time to explain, we have to leave now." he urged.

Hinata looked around and saw Shimuro unbinding Hanabi and her father, Hiashi. She felt a huge wave of relief, but it did not last long. Shino had pushed her down to the ground and held her firmly there. She looked back at him and gaped at what she saw. He was holding her down with his right hand, and in his left, he was gripping the thorax of a fully grown hornet, its abdomen thrusting its stinger in every direction in an attempt to break free. His face bore a menacing scowl as he ruthlessly squeezed the life out of the giant hornet.

An ear-splitting scream protruded from the other side of the wall of insects as Shino's scowl turned into a devilish smirk.

"You unimaginable _bastard!"_ screeched a female voice.

And the pressure began as the wall of insects jerked violently at the obvious sign of force from the other side. Shino and Shimuro grunted inaudibly as they held the intruding pressure at bay.

"Managed to piss off Queen Bitch, haven't we?" Shimuro grinned.

"It will work in our favor." Shino replied. "Emotional turmoil causes strategical fallacies."

The outside swarm pushed furiously against the kikaichu.

"Take the Hyuugas out of here, oji-san." Shino urged. "I'll hold them off."

"Shino, I can't carry the three by myself." Shimuro replied with worry. "And you cannot take the two of them on in your present condition."

"Hinata is fully awake. She'll help you." Shino stood despite the difficulty and forced the wall of insects to push back. "Don't worry about me!"

The pressure intensified. Hinata could see that both Shino and Shimuro were in no shape to fight. They were already starting to get winded from upholding the insect barrier.

"As soon as the barrier gives... Hinata..." gasped Shino, "Help my uncle carry your father and your sister out of here."

"Shino, I won't leave-"

"Hinata, that's an order!" Shino snapped.

Hinata paled at his tone, but nodded.

"Ready..." Shino breathed.

"That's it..." seethed the female. "You've made me mad! _Bee Bomb Jutsu!"_

Shino gasped. "_Get down!"_

* * *

><p><strong>Oh my god, guys, please forgive me for not updating :( college has been hectic, especially with projects and finals. I hope this would hold off until Friday, when I'll be able to upload again. Until then, guys, critiques are welcome :3<strong>


	18. Chapter 18

**Oh my God, guys, PLEASE forgive me for such an extended leave. Everything is just out of my hands right now, and on top of all of it, I have finals and no internet -.- I know a lot of you have been waiting for the next one, so here it is, and hopefully I can upload the next chapter soon. **

"You were right to call me as soon as things were clear." Tsunade began, "Any later, and he would have died."

Kiba blanched. "S-shino…" he murmured.

"Keep him under a close watch." She commanded, still unaware of Kiba and Shikamaru's presence. "No one comes in unless they have direct orders from me. He needs his rest."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade." The Aburame medical ninja replied with monotonous unity.

Tsunade turned to find Kiba, Akamaru, and Shikamaru and blinked. Yet, when Kiba looked into the elder woman's eyes to find some hint on what has happened, her eyes were quiet and hard as stone.

"Is Shino okay!?" Kiba blurted out, his voice resonating from the walls and causing the stone-like forms of the Aburame flinch as they covered their ears. But at this present moment, Kiba could care less about the daggers they shot through their shielded eyes. "Where's Hinata?!"

Tsunade sighed softly as she motioned him to quiet down. "Kiba, please, keep it down."

"Screw that, where are my friends!?" Kiba practically shrieked. "Are they alright!? Who's behind-"

"_Kiba Inuzuka!_" Tsunade boomed out, her voice stern. Kiba's voice hitched in his throat, his body racked with nervousness, anger, and desperation.

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose and breathed out. "I don't know, Kiba." She spoke softly. "I don't know where they are, and I have even less of an idea if they're alright or not."

Kiba did his best to calm down. "S-so," he gulped. "Shino's not in there?"

Tsunade shook her head. "No. His father, Shibi, is."

A wave of relief washed over him for a fraction of a second before he began to visibly shake with anger.

"What's going on, Tsunade?" Shikamaru asked, worry plastered over his face.

"It turns out that the assailants that raided the Akimichi household were also the ones who attacked the Aburame Manor." Tsunade replied, "We've been trying to find out who they are, but we're finding it to be quite a task, since the only person that had any idea on what was going on is gone too."

Kiba's mouth went dry as he looked at Tsunade, his eyes empty, brown orbs.

"No…not Hanabi, too." He breathed.

Tsunade's expression remained firm as she nodded. "We just received confirmation that the Hyuuga House was also targeted. Hanabi was the only one missing, but everyone else is injured. Thankfully, they were in too much of a hurry to kill anyone."

"From what we've seen, it seems like Hanabi, Hinata, and Shino were the only ones they were intending to get." Shikamaru responded. "The damage here is far worse than what was evident in Choji's compound."

Tsunade nodded. "We're stretched thin at this point. I can't send Kakashi or Yamato to track them down, since they're helping the Hyuugas, and I can't ask the Aburame to go track them either, since they're trying to keep things together here and in the Akimichi compound. So, I need you two to-"

Tsunade was cut off by a tumble of feet coming down the stairs. Her body tensed while Kiba and Shikamaru whirled around to find Shami and a couple of others, completely out of breath.

"The children!" Shami tried to breathe, his ragged breathing almost frantic with panic. "They're gone!"

* * *

><p>Instant battle cries filled Shino's ears as he used the last of his strength to deflect Suzumebachi's Bee Bomb Jutsu. He battled to stay conscious and not to have his body drop like a ton of lead on top of Hinata's smaller frame.<p>

"What in the world are you four doing here!?" Shimuro's voice seemed so far away, yet Shino already knew who he was referring to.

Shino inwardly cursed as he struggled to bring himself to stand.

He witnessed the triplets as well as their older brother fend off against Suzumebachi and her companions. Though he knew it was not the time to gawk at his younger cousin's teamwork, it was impossible not to sit there and stare in awe at how quickly Shima cast aside his hesitant nature and managed to overwhelm an older, taller, and more experienced foe with taijutsu alone, and how Shoma and Makuro tag-teamed the other male: Shoma with his insects, and Makuro with tripwires and shuriken.

It both shocked and amazed him how they were strong enough to take on two opponents who were supposedly high above their level when they hadn't even received their Hitai-ate leaf headbands yet.

Suzumebachi could pass as a rabid dog. The hatred was clear as day in her eyes as she was easily overpowered by Matoro, a mere child who was not even qualified to be a ninja. Her lips curled into a snarl as she landed blow after blow at him, though the child deflected each one with accuracy. She shrieked in exasperation as she continued her onslaught, her attacks becoming fiercer and stronger. Matoro matched her movements, easily reading each of her moves as if she was an open book.

Matoro finally had Suzumebachi down on her knees, a kunai at her throat while his foot held her firmly planted on the ground. She struggled violently, but to no avail as Matoro forced her to stay still.

"Never again." He seethed softly. "Never again will you harm my family."

Her fine lips twisted into a sadistic smile. "Don't count on it, maggot." She spat.

Matoro let out a snarl as he thrusted the kunai at her neck. Suzumebachi used the move to her advantage as she grabbed his wrists and slammed her head against his, the force sending him to the ground. A gasp escaped his body as his back slammed against the forest floor.

Suzumebachi screeched as she lunged at his form only to be blocked off by Shino, his knees almost buckling under the force. Where he had gotten the strength to place himself before the Kamizuru and his younger cousin, he knew not. All he knew was that he would be damned for all eternity if he was going to let this hate-driven bitch harm those he held dear.

"Miss me, Aburame?" Suzumebachi sneered, her eyes glossed with psychotic anger as her strength slowly, but surely, brought the leaf shinobi closer and closer to his knees.

Shino snarled in frustration, forcing his knees to stop their buckling. He exerted force against Suzumebachi's grip until they were both on their feet, their hands shaking violently against each other as one desperately tried to overpower the other.

"Since the day….you and your little friends killed the rest of my family…I have _dreamed _of watching your blood spill completely out of your body!" she licked her lips.

"Don't bet on it, bitch." Shino seethed, but inwardly, he was in a panic.

The paralysis still hadn't worn off, so most of his body was prickling with numbness. He felt his limbs turn to concrete, and the haze that clouded his keen thinking was not helping in the least. Along with the low level of chakra and complete exhaustion, he could feel his eyeballs vibrate against his skull, almost pulling his eyelids shut. He resisted the urge by biting his tongue until he tasted the unpleasant taste of blood. Shino knew couldn't keep her at bay any longer. But if she was hellbent on killing him, then he sure as hell wasn't going to make it easy for her.

Instinctively, his insects seeped out from his hands and on to hers. Suzumebachi shivered involuntarily at the tingling sensation of his insects. She gritted her teeth. She knew he was planning to use his kikaichu to absorb her chakra, yet when she attempted to step away from him, her feet were glued to the ground, his grip hard and firm like a vice grip.

She grunted as she struggled to free herself, only to find that Shino's kikaichu were also on her feet and slowly traveling up her calves. She panicked once she felt her energy flee her and let out a scream as her thrusts and movements became violent once more. She dug her fingernails into the flesh of his hands, and though he sucked in a breath, he did not release her. She did everything to try and create distance, but no matter how hard she tried to free herself from Shino's grasp, the Aburame refused to let his hold give out.

Not when the blood began to flow from the flesh that had been pierced with Suzumebachi's fingernails did he release her.

Not after he heard the triplets haul Matoro away as Shimuro ordered their leave.

Nor after feeling the sharp, needle-like stingers of the giant hornets all over his skin.

Shino was covered in cold sweat now.

His body shook violently, yet he still stood. The pain was unimaginable. He could feel the hornet's venom incinerate his insides, his veins and arteries coming to a blaze. His kikaichu reacted to the intrusion and fought back, further trying to protect their master and keep the venom concentrated in one area, but the battle inside his body was losing desperately.

It was a new type of venom, a kind Shino had studied before, but never got to train his kikaichu to build a resistance. Because of this, his kikaichu screeched inside of him as their exoskeletons shriveled like raisins until they were dead. Shino fought the sudden wave of nausea, though he could not stop the cold shiver that slithered up his spine.

He could hear Suzumebachi's enraged scream ringing his ears. The kikaichu that managed to leave his body overpowered her hornets until their carcasses dropped to the ground.

"You son of a bitch!" she spat, writhing violently against his stone-like grasp.

Shino could no longer find the strength to speak. All of his concentration was placed on keeping her restrained. In her present state, he knew she would be able to kill everyone in the vicinity if he made one, single, faltering mistake.

Her attempts to break free were fleeting now._ Good_. The kikaichu finally drained enough energy to weaken her. Then again, he was also weakening. He was unsure how long he could keep this up. He was no longer able to tell time, nor could he tell how many kikaichu he had lost to the venom inside of his body. All he was in tune with was the rapid beating of his heart, his labored, yet uneven breathing, and Suzumebachi's hazing silhouette.

"No. Not again." He heard Suzumebachi's voice. "I will not be beaten. Not again!"

Suzumebachi gritted her teeth, threw her head back and slammed her forehead against the bridge of Shino's nose. His body convulsed at the impact, his knees buckling violently once more. The rush of pain awakened his numbed senses. He could feel where the rim of his glasses had broken in half and hung loosely until they fell to the floor. He could also feel the trickle of blood fall from his nostrils and from the bridge of his nose.

Suzumebachi's blow affected her as well, for her eyes glazed over in a daze. To Shino's dismay, she still stood. At this point, they were too numb and too weak to finish the job. Suzumebachi stared into his glossy, empty black orbs, the madness returning and infuriating her even more. How could something she hated so much have such beautiful eyes?

Shino, on the other hand, was void of such feeling. He had to end this, and he had to end it now.

_Move. Shino, move, now! Take her out now!_

Yet no matter how much he berated himself to make a move, his body had become a statue. He could no longer move, the last of his chakra finally leaving his body.

Suzumebachi's breathing accelerated once she noticed that her enemy's insects had stopped thieving her chakra. She wasted a moment, watching the insects make a mad dash back towards their master's body to protect his vulnerable body. A wickedly sinister grin spread on her face as she brought forth the strength to rear her hand back, along with Shino's,and knock him right in the jaw. That final blow released his hold of her, yet he still stood on weak knees. His chest heaved heavily, gulping in the delicious oxygen that his body craved. It was about all that was keeping him from blacking out.

She laughed weakly as she punched him again and again until his body dropped to the ground.

Shino's eyes gazed up at the sky. He continued to heave the oxygen into his body. His heart was about to pop out of his chest, it hurt too much to try to slow it down. He could no longer feel anything, nor bring forth the strength to stand or even sit. He felt his eyes flicker to the back of his head and back to the forefront, the world spinning around him as the hallucinations from the hornet stings kicked in. He felt like he was in some sort of genjutsu that he could not shake free from.

This was it. All of his energy was gone. The world concentrated all of its gravity and pushed it on top of him, keeping him planted on the ground. A noise, almost like a pained whimper, escaped from the back of his throat. The pressure of it all was too much for him at this point. All he could do was hope and pray that Hinata and his family were safe.

He gasped painfully once Suzumebachi brought down her foot against his stomach. Her strike had caught Shino in mid-breath, knocking every ounce of air he had pumped into his body back out.

"Does it feel good, Aburame!? Does it!?" She screamed as her onslaught continued until Shino coughed up blood.

She then brought her foot to his chest, ignoring the urgent gasps he sucked in when she practically pushed her entire weight on his ribcage. She grasped his jaw and forced him to lock eyes with her. Her hand grasped his neck and raised him up to her knees, then slammed him down.

Shino grunted, the world shaking all around him from the impact. Her eyes showed no sign of mercy as she began to relentlessly kick his sides until his cries diminished to disgruntled, gut-wrenching whimpers.

The Kamizuru stopped now. She breathed heavily, the insanity clear in her grin and in her unhinged eyes, and got down to her knees right next to him. Turning him on his back, she grabbed his jaw and applied pressure until Shino gasped.

"You honestly think I didn't see your wretched family and your _friends _without a goodbye present, did you?" she snickered as she made a hand sign.

Shino's mouth went dry, his heartbeat drumming in his ears. How could he have missed it? How could he have missed her hornets carry paper bombs behind Hinata and Shimuro?

"_Leave them alone!" _Shino screamed, the fear clear in his eyes. "_They have nothing to do with this!"_

"An eye for an eye..." Her sneer brought forth his inner demons, yet even they were helpless against his own weakness to move, his own voice cowering down his own throat. "And once I finish them off, I'll take care of you until you beg me to kill you!"

His black eyes watched her raise her handsign to her lips, completely mortified, and still he could not summon the strength to move.

"Bee Bomb Jutsu." She whispered evilly.

His pupils shrank, the light fleeing his eyes.

_No!_

* * *

><p>"We're almost there!" Kiba barked excitedly, coupled in with Akamaru's cheerful bark.<p>

Shikamaru looked at Shima and the other Aburame. "Can you confirm?"

"Affirmative." Shima responded. "I can sense their body heat."

"Hang on." Tamiri halted them. "I can't sense Shino's hive."

Kiba gulped and stuck his nose in the air. His nerves were already frayed for only sensing one of his teammates, but his heart once again made contact with his stomach once the scent of blood reached his nostrils. This was bad.

"I see them!" Shikamaru exclaimed.

Kiba shook out of his daze and looked ahead of them. Their shadows became clear through the greenery, and once Shikamaru received confirmation from both Akamaru and the Aburame trackers, he allowed passage to meet them half-way.

Yet before they could ever reach the hostages, screams filled the quiet early morning, and finally threw it into silence once again with the resonating sound of an explosion.

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><p><strong>I know, I'm a bitch ;-; Please don't hate me. *cowers behind a desk to avoid flying objects* I know, another cliff hanger, I'm sorry ;-; It will get better, I promise!<strong>


	19. Chapter 19

**Updates, updates, updates! I finally have two weeks to work on this thing before going back and slaving over work and school. It's the least I can do for leaving y'all hanging for so long ;-; **

**So without further ado, *bows*, enjoy!**

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><p>Shikamaru's heart plummeted down to the pit of his stomach at Kiba's horrified scream as he shouted Hinata's name.<p>

Once they neared the site of the explosion, they found a dome-shaped crater. The surrounding trees were demolished, the barks incinerated to black, yet the atmosphere did not reek of burning flesh.

Akamaru barked at the crater and sprinted down the crumbling rocks. They followed, their muscles unclenching as they spotted the group. They approached with caution, two of the Aburame shinobi guarding the sides along with Akamaru.

Kiba sniffed around for more explosives. He nodded at the others once the coast was clear.

They worked quickly in checking the hostages for any mortal injuries, relieved to find none. Other than bruises, some minor bleeding, and maybe a concussion or two, they were alright.

"Quickly." Shikamaru ordered. "We have to get them to Lady Tsunade before we receive any more surprises."

The Aburame shinobi nodded as they proceeded to carry the injured out of the damaged area. Kiba hauled Hinata in his arms and smiled at her.

_So, you've been working on the Trigrams Rotation technique…_

He couldn't help but feel his chest swell with pride, even for a moment. The shy shinobi had been training with Neji for quite some time, just with the Eight Trigrams Rotation technique. From the looks of it, she had used what energy she had left to shield them and engage the technique before the explosion occurred.

The group dashed back to the manor, thankful that no one had been killed. But in the back of Kiba's mind, he was worried. There had been not a single sign of Shino's presence anywhere near the blast site.

_Hang in there, Shino… Hang in there._

* * *

><p>Shino's ears caught the faint sound of an explosion, as well as of various screams. His eyes were wide, stricken with fear as he stared up at Suzumebachi's sinister grin.<p>

"Music to my ears..." She whispered coldly.

He caught sight of the kunai she had pulled out of her pack and licked it. "Your turn, Aburame." she sneered and reared her hand towards the sky.

"_Die!"_

The sound of a bone-crunching crack and spilled blood filled the air.

Suzumebachi stared down at him, her eyes wide with pure hatred and fear.

Shino's hand had stopped the kunai, making it dig into his palm and through to the other side. His onyx eyes were smoldering, his scowl so terrifying it could bring the devil himself to cower in fear. He gripped her hand, his hold turning into steel once more as he heaved himself up, his balled fist slamming into her face.

Her body heaved backwards, but Shino's hold kept her from going far. He pulled the kunai out from his palm and cast it aside.

Suzumebachi snapped out of the delirium and managed to pull away from him, yet when she turned to flee, she fell to the floor. Looking back, the sight turned her spine to ice.

Shino was on his knees, his crouching body shivering, no longer wanting to hold back the rage he felt.

_This...This is insane..! _

Shino glanced at her, making her body freeze. His eyes were lifeless, his face frozen into a permanent snarl. Suzumebachi stared, horrified once she noticed his body beginning to bubble, as if his blood had boiled to the point it rose against his skin. His body distorted in such a way that it turned her blood to ice in her veins. He crouched on his knees, his muscles convulsing.

His mouth opened as he began to take in gulps of air, and as soon as the reaction had came, it ceased, his body turning to stone.

All of the control he was taught as a child were cast aside now. He grunted loudly as the bubbling grew. His upper body reared back as he let out a blood-curling scream.

Thousands upon thousands of kikaichu burst from every available orifice on his skin in violent streams.

Suzumebachi screamed when blood spewed from his eyes, nose, and mouth, but when she turned to flee the horrifying sight, the atmosphere buzzed angrily with the entirety of Shino's hive. The wrath of the insects swarmed the scenery around her, making everything pitch black.

And then, they were upon her.

* * *

><p>Shino could not see, nor hear, nor smell anything. His mouth felt like he had been drinking sand. His body felt heavier than lead. He was completely and utterly drained.<p>

How long had he laid there? Weeks? Days? Seconds?

He tried thinking of what had happened before he passed out, but all he could think of was the pain. He was reeled in and out hallucinations where either the scenery plastered itself with splatters of unknown substances, or it spun around him to the point he could choke on his vomit. His muscles spasms were painful and violent. It was as if his body had ruptured from the inside out and his muscles were trying to compensate for the damage, stretching or tightening to fill the growing pit that tore through his being. He could still feel the pressure weight down on his body, specifically his eyes.

Yet, at the same time, the pain had become a fleeting memory. He just felt like an empty shell, completely void of everything. Every feeling, every sense. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized that maybe he _was _just an empty shell.

Time seemed endless at this point. There were moments of clarity, where Shino could feel every wound and scar. With every breath he took, it felt like he was inhaling glass. He choked on his own whimpers, his attempts of moving becoming more and more futile.

Then again, there were also moments of an unknown stupor. He felt like a piece of cloth floating in the wind as his mind went in and out of consciousness. Soon enough, his memories began to drift to the center of his focus, all of which seemed so distant now.

His family and the children with their constant banter.

Kiba and his godforsaken loud demeanor.

Hinata herself and her lovely lavender eyes.

Shino's breath hitched painfully in his chest, followed by a series of congestive coughs. Her smile ghosted over his memory along with her innocence, leaving his mind blank and further throwing him into a void of nothingness.

The surge of pain reared its ugly head back to his very core as Shino coughed violently. He was certain the universe hated him somehow, for he felt daggers pierces his throat and chest, adding to the immense amount of pain and pressure he fought against. He caught the faint taste of blood and the feel of something trickling down his cheeks. Rain? More blood? Tears?

He didn't know anymore. Not knowing if his loved ones were safe was worse than the pain he was dealing with. But there was nothing else he could do except lie there and wait for some sort of judgment that seemed to never come.

_Is this what dying feels like?..._

His chest heaved slightly, each breath slamming on to him with a quivering he could not shake away. A heavy haze clouded his mind once more, the same haze that had strangled his exhausted mind an eternity ago. Now, completely drained of what little energy he had left, Shino decided not to fight against it.

Instead, he greeted it the way a moth greeted the burning candlelight, and allowed the haze to cradle him into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>"The scent is getting stronger, mother." Hana informed Tsume.<p>

They were dashing through the forest along with their own canine companions, Kuromaru and the Haimaru triplets, and Shiva and Tarene

"Yeah." Tsume sniffed the air once more and grimaced. "Blood."

Hana picked it up as well. "There's someone else with him."

Tsume frowned. She did not recognize that scent at all. It was disguised with the earthiness of the land around them, yet it had a very unpleasantly bitter undertone. But there was something else intertwined in the scent profiles. It still smelled like the Aburame heir, but something was off. It was as if there were two of the same person in one place, yet one bearing a more feral aura.

Tarene caught on to it before the rest did, her wrinkled features twisting in horror.

"His hive.." she whispered.

The women turned to her.

"What's wrong, mama?" Shiva asked.

Tarene gulped slightly. "You know, of course, that the hives of the Aburame feed on the force that's the strongest in the body. Therefore, an Aburame must be taught self control as well as chakra control before anything else. The dominating force, of course, being the chakra, since through it, we are able to perform our techniques. However..."

As they neared, the aura became colder, causing them all to shiver. Tarene paused.

"If one's emotions overrule the chakra control, it will throw the hive out of balance. If those emotions are negative, such as depression or even rage, the hive will refuse to feed off of them, for they are, of course, bitter to them."

A pause loomed over them for a brief moment.

"What happens if those emotions become the dominant factor?" Hana asked, her voice almost a whisper.

She looked at Tarene and noticed her lip quiver. Shive exhaled shakily.

"If a negative emotion becomes the dominant force in the body," Shiva began, "The hive will force their way out of the host, and either attacking the source that triggered the emotion, or tear the host from the inside out."

Tsume couldn't hold back the shiver that prickled up her spine at the mere thought of it. No wonder they were all statues, as she put it. Now she was more than worried over the boy.

It was some time before they reached the site, and what greeted their eyes was beyond sickening.

Shino laid on his back, his arms and legs outstretched. His clothes were torn to shreds, as if he had been attacked by a myriad of Senbon needles. Shiva and Tarene rushed to his side, Shiva no longer holding back her horror. His half-lidded eyes were lifeless and bloodshot. His body was caked with dried blood, even more so around the corners of his eyes, his nose, and mouth. If it was not bad enough, every visible part of his body bore bloody holes the size of pin heads. His muscles spasmed horribly, but other than that, he was still. Even his breathing was barely noticeable.

"No, no, Shino, no!" Shiva breathed, trails of tears escaping from her eye gear.

"Quickly, Shiva." Tarene ordered, forcing back the wave of panic. "We have to stabilize him so he can be moved."

She turned to Tsume and Hana. "I can hear his hive close by. Find it so we can retrieve them."

Tarene noticed the look of horror on Hana's face. If she did not know any better, Tsume was about to empty the contents of her bowel right there.

"What?" Tarene urged. "What is it?"

"We don't have to look far..." Tsume managed.

Her wolfish eyes marked the spot. Once Shiva and Tarene followed her gaze, they gaped.

Right across from where Shino's body laid was a small dip in the ground. On the other side of the dip lied a heaping pile of insects. They looked to be almost done with whatever they were feeding on, yet the angry shrieks remained. The pile convulsed as some of the insects shifted positions, and it was then that the four had witnessed the gruesome sight of Suzumebachi's half-eaten corpse.

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><p><strong>Pls no haet ;-;<strong>

**I promise it'll get better ;-; maybe not now, but I promise it will. **


	20. Chapter 20

**I know it's Christmas, and the last thing I want is for someone to spend the morning/afternoon/night crying over my next few updates, so if you don't want to be flooded in the tears that I will unintentionally make you shed over the next two or so updates, I suggest not reading this chapter or the next one until the holidays pass. I promise you, the light is becoming clearer at the end of this morbid tunnel ;-; For those of you still hanging on to this feels trip, I thank you bunches! I'm so glad you all enjoy it (even though I gag at my poor writing attempts when I read over it  
>) (I shall go back over this once it's finished ;-; ) Anywho, without further ado, enjoy. <strong>

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><p>"I'm fine, Kiba." Hinata's frail voice tried to soothe her frantic friend. She tried to sit up, yet Kiba's large hands pushed her back down as gently as he could.<p>

"Hinata, please." He pleaded, "You're drained. You need your rest."

Hinata sighed softly and rested back down on the bed. She was completely exhausted and sore, but at the same time, she was relieved. It had been through sheer luck that she had been able to engage the Eight Trigrams Rotation technique as soon as the bees had swarmed them, and that technique drained her more than what it should have.

Yet she still could not shake away the feeling of dread when no one, not even Kiba, could answer the only question she kept repeating.

_Where is Shino?_

She looked up at Kiba, feeling a bit unnerved at the way his wild, wolf-like eyes darted back and forth from his clenched fists to the door.

"I hope he's okay." He heard Hinata whisper.

Kiba gulped down the lump in his throat. It sucked that he knew not of his best friends whereabouts, and it was even worse when he couldn't seem to bring some sort of comfort to Hinata. Nevertheless, he sported the best grin he could muster as he turned to her.

"Don't sweat it, Hinata." he barked with false enthusiasm. "Shino's a great fighter. It'll take more than some bitch to bring him down."

The words were slammed back into his throat when he heard a chilling commotion outside.

"I need that room ready and I need it now!" ordered the disembodied voice. "Have those supplies at the ready. I need syringes, hemostat dressing, tranquilizer fluid, and morphine. I need those now. Bring Lady Tsunade!"

Hinata's eyes were wide with worry as Kiba patted her hand.

"It's probably just for Shino's uncle." Kiba reassured her.

He knew damn well it was a half-assed lie. Shimuro did not need any of those supplies. At this point, he did not know who he was trying to keep calm: Hinata or himself.

A chill crept up his spine at the sound of his mother's voice.

"Tamiri, Shima, get over here now!"

Hinata shivered at the frantic authority of the Inuzuka woman's voice as Kiba rushed to open the door. There, he saw the blur of Tamiri and Shima's coats rush past him and to Tsume, who, along with Hana, carried an unconscious Shino.

Kiba's mouth twisted agape with horror. Shino's racked body was soon steadied over the four shinobi as they quickly made way down the hall. His pale body was honeycombed with pin head sized holes. His clothes were torn to shreds, his face a bloody mess. Kiba involuntarily closed the door, not wanting Hinata to see the state he was in.

"Kiba, move!" Tsume ordered.

"I-Is he okay!?" Kiba panicked.

"Kiba, we don't know, and we don't have time to explain either." Tsume barked, a little harsher than necessary. "Get back in there, now!"

Kiba paled as they rushed past him, his eyes welling up into tears. His nerves racked up again, his palms shaking and sweaty.

"S-shino?" Hinata's voice was close now, but he could not face her. Not when he was so close to actual tears.

Hinata was behind him, looking around to find the huddle of bodies at the end of the hall. Her mouth dropped, horrified as she caught the glimpse of Shino's broken body.

* * *

><p>Shino was torn between both extremes. Inside, he was burning up. The uncomfortable heat was almost unbearable, and it gnawed with razor sharp teeth at his very sanity. He felt his brain turn to slime, the ravaging fire liquefying the organ into a puddle of matter inside his skull.<p>

At the same time, he was freezing. Shino felt his skin and his muscles prickle with the overcoming coldness that seemed to envelope him. The numbness turned him to stone. It was no use in thinking about relieving his tense muscles, for even the thought of moving brought him pain.

The hallucinations were growing now, making Shino dizzy with the too vibrant colors and the constant change from bright to brighter to muddy. The violent shaking of his eyeballs were enough for the nausea to slam back into him.

In his mind's eye, he could see Hinata's lovely figure, her angelic face smiling her sweetest smile. A second later, a terrifying scream escaped her lips followed by a sickening crunch as Suzumebachi drove her foot drove down on her neck.

He felt himself scream.

* * *

><p>"Restrain him!" Tsunade ordered, her hands covered in a green glow.<p>

Shino's body convulsed, shaking the bed. He grunted sickly, his arms slamming down on the side of the bed, his ragged breathing increasing. Tamiri restrained his arms while Shami held his legs. They tried their best not to injure him more than what he already was, but it was no small task. Shino's strength was almost too much for the two of them.

"He won't stay still." Tamiri grunted. "Juice him up!"

Shiva's shaking palms loaded a syringe with the tranquilizer fluid while Tamiri held one of Shino's arms still. Once the needle broke through the skin, Shino screamed, the blood-curling sound making all four of them jump. Tears ran down his aunt's face as she emptied the syringe. Shino screamed once more, this time more viciously, until it died down to a series of pained whimpers. His violent thrashing died down as well, his body growing still, his breath evening itself out.

The room was deathly quiet now, the two Aburame men not taking their vice-like grip away from their relative until they were completely certain he was calm. Tsunade nodded at them, and they released him, their tense bodies releasing a breath.

"Alright." Tsunade's voice was calm. "What do we need to do?"

After a moment of silence, Shiva spoke. "Once the wounds are completely clean, we have to inject his hive back into his body."

Tsunade looked at her. "Are you sure he can handle that pressure in his present state?" she asked.

"We don't have any other choice." Tamiri's voice cut in, his tone almost a whisper.

The Godaimekage looked at the Aburame, noticing the atmosphere change from concern to fear. She almost hated having to ask, but she needed to know.

"What happens if we wait?" she strained. "What happens if we do not go through with the procedure?"

She almost gasped when she saw tears running down Shiva's face. Shami exhaled slowly.

"If we do not go through with this." Tamiri hesitated. "He'll die."

The room deadened yet again, filled with only the sound of Shino's labored breathing.

* * *

><p><em>Please, make it stop. Please...<em>

It was a nightmare he just could not escape from. He was in and out of consciousness, his awakened mind only retaining blurred images, and his unconscious mind succumbing into horrible scenes that made his stomach curl.

He was floating in nothingness now, but he shivered uncontrollably, not wanting to experience another hallucination. But he was yet again sucked into the horrifying void.

Fear clawed at him from every angle, his cries for help inaudible like his tears.

_Leave me alone!_

He could feel himself sweat, his chest heaving with choked sobs. He just wanted time to rewind back to his present.

To his family coming together.

To being in Hinata's arms.

Yet his mind perversed the wish, twisting it to a family of statues turning their backs on him for leaving his own uncle and younger cousins die, and to himself cradling Hinata's blood-stained body, his sanity being pulled away by some cruel deity.

He could hear Suzumebachi's sinister laugh echo his nightmare, fueling the misery to anger as he mindlessly lashed out at the gruesome apparition before him.

* * *

><p>It was the fifth day now. Hinata's eyes welled with tears every time she heard the screaming behind the door she faced. The first day she had sat there was by far the best. She had only ever heard Shino twice. Yet as the days dragged on, it worsened to the point where all she heard were his horrified, pain-stricken screams.<p>

Kiba had tried and failed to pry her away from her vigilance, until he, too, had given up and sat beside her, his own eyes letting stray tears escape.

'It's going to be okay, Hinata.' she had heard him speak to her, his voice no longer holding back his sobs. 'He's going to be okay, and everything will be back to normal. Everything will be normal soon.'

She wanted to believe him, but she felt her own hope slipping a bit every day.

Their heads turned to the right at the sound of Shibi's frantic shouting.

"You're not doing this to me, Shiva." he shouted. "_**You are not about to give up on him!**"_

"Shibi, please." Shiva pleaded, her own voice unsteady, as if she was ready to damn the family's stoic demeanor and break down. "Lady Tsunade has been in there for five days straight, and it's gotten no better. Shibi, he's suffering... I can't bear to hear him anymore. He can't-"

It was then where Shibi had grabbed her collar with his good hand and pulled her to him. "You think I don't know? You think I haven't been listening to him!? You think I can stomach the fact that my son is in there fighting for his life and I can't do a damn thing to help him!? You will not do this to me, do you understand me!? **_I will not let you do this to him!_**"

She pushed him, ignoring when he winced and grasped at the sling of his arm. "Do you realize how selfish you sound right now!? His hive has completely reverted to a feral state. They're already putting up a fight when we load them into the syringes. Shibi, they're tearing him up from the inside out! Don't you think he's suffered enough already!?"

Shibi stared at his sister, his body shivering visibly. Tears stained the man's features as he collapsed to his knees. Hinata could feel her heart breaking at the scene.

"Please." He choked in between sobs. "Please, don't do this."

Shiva looked down at her brother, fighting back her own urges to join him in their shared sorrow. She jolted when he looked up at her.

"**_You've already taken my wife and daughter from me!_**" he practically screamed, his body heaving with uncontrollable tears. "Please..." he added softly. "Please don't take him away from me, too."

It was like some sort of nightmare. Kiba and Hinata watched them, detached from the scene they physically occupied. Shiva's erect posture slouched, her own sobs shedding through her exterior as she forced herself to walk away from her brother and entered the foreboding door.

Hinata couldn't hold back her tears at the sound of his cries. He was completely and utterly broken, his body heaving and releasing his wails. They saw Shimuro limp towards him, kneeling down to his brother and placing a hand on his back. It wasn't long before the brothers held each other in a tight embrace, the hallway echoing with the sound of sorrow from Shibi Aburame.

* * *

><p><strong>*hides under a rock* ;-; <strong>


	21. Chapter 21

It was the tenth day now. The commotion had ceased long ago, but the remainder of Team 8 were still refused passage to the room Shino was held in.

Hinata's lingered on her lap, the ominous silence looming over her. The other medics had to remove Kiba by force. He had finally grown mad over the sound of his best friend in suffering that he barraged through anyone who stopped him. Unfortunately, he never got close to opening the door before Tsunade had knocked him unconscious with a flick of her delicate hand.

Hinata was now alone, waiting patiently for some sort of comfort that teased her with hopes that her friend, her lover, her _soulmate_, would be okay.

Shiva exited the room along with her kinsmen. Their eyes were downcast as they dispersed, leaving her alone, her palm resting on the closed door.

She was tired. The fight she had with Shibi earlier that week exhausted her into a depression she could not free herself from. Shino's treatment was finally taking a turn for the better, his violent outburst ceasing to mere noises every now and then. The kikaichu had finally recognized Shino as their host and master, and wasted no time in trying to repair the damage they had done to him.

Shiva exhaled softly. He will not be okay any time soon. Of that, she was certain. The external damage was horrendous. The internal damage was even worse. His muscles were honeycombed, and his nervous system was on overdrive due to the venom of the hornets. He continued to slip in and out of consciousness, nothing more than incomprehensible words escaping him.

Even when Tsunade reassured her he will be in fighting spirits soon enough, Shiva remained unconvinced, and no longer knew if the sudden mood change was making her as pessimistic as possible or if she was really losing all hope for her nephew.

She turned and stopped to find Hinata's moon-like eyes look up at her. Her heart almost stopped. The lively young woman she had met a little over a month ago was not the woman that stood before her now.

Her pale, lavender tinted eyes were puffy and sad, dark circles forming under them. Her skin was sickly pale: Shiva could tell she either did not wish to eat or refused to. The formerly beautiful dark locks were refused maintenance, stray hairs flowing this way and that. She still wore the white robe she was placed in when she was admitted to the medical wing.

Shiva's throat clamped shut at the sight. _The __poor girl..._

Hinata looked up at Shiva, her eyes almost pleading her to let her see Shino, even though deep down, she knew she would not grant her access. From what little she had heard on his condition, he was becoming violent, even lashing out at Tsunade through the haze that constantly fogged his mind and better judgment.

The elder Aburame woman approached her and took a seat next to her.

"It's not healthy for you to sit here and wait for him to heal." Shiva's voice was soft. Tired.

Hinata nodded slowly, yet remained quiet. She did not trust herself to speak. Not when she still had so many tears left to shed.

"He'll be okay." Shiva reassured her after a while. "His kikaichu finally broke away from the feral stage. They're helping him heal now."

She felt ready to cry herself after seeing the hope reignite inside Hinata's eyes, her delicate mouth forming into a smile. Shiva let out a startled breath when the Hyuuga pulled her into an embrace, but did not hesitate to return the gesture.

"It will be a while..." Shiva continued, soothing Hinata the way a mother soothed a crying child. "A long while before he can ever be the Shino we know, but... I know that he'll be okay."

Hinata nodded, her breath hiccuping in her chest, still refusing to release her hold. Shiva smiled, unable to resist the chuckle that rumbled off her chest as she tightened the embrace.

* * *

><p><em>It's okay, Shino-san...<em>

_It's okay._

_We're here now._

_It's okay._

Shino's oncoming hallucination was veered off its starting stage by his kikaichu. His frayed nerves soothed at the familiarity of the sound. His kikaichu had finally calmed after an eternity of frenzied, painful vibrations. He could feel his tiny friends scurry down their passages, repairing the extensive damage of his wounds.

The hallucinations were starting to wane now, both in occurrences and in severity, but there were still the handful of scenes that did not escape his conscious and unconscious mind. Thankfully, the tiny insects fought back the horrific memories until they forced them into obscurity. The kikaichu were doing their job well.

'_Is everyone alright?' _he asked them.

_We know as much as you do, Shino-san._

Damn it. He had been there for what seemed like forever, and he still knew nothing. Not that it could be helped. Every time he was awake, he was in so much pain that all he could do was cry out at the blurred figures to stop.

He needed to know if they were all alright. He _needed _those answers.

_Please, Shino-san. _the kikaichu pleaded with their master, _ Please do not fret. It makes the job difficult._

_'I know... Forgive me... I...'_

All he could remember next was the faint flutter of their busy bodies as he succumbed into darkness once more.

* * *

><p>Hinata stood in front of Shino's body, her eyes taking him in as best as they could without having to have another breakdown. She looked back at Shiva, who stood by the door, arms folded in front of her, posture erect. She nodded at Hinata, who nibbled her lower lip and approached the bed.<p>

The room was pitch black now, the ghosting smoke of lit candles filling her nostrils. Yet, she could see him clearly.

A wet cloth covered everything from his nose up, the cloth held in place by a few tubes that connected to the IVs that lined the headboard of the bed's frame, along with a healing tag. Tightly wound bandages were visible from underneath the cloth, and extended down to the middle of his face. His mouth was slacked open, two tubes protruding to two small air pumps. He was bandaged from the neck down, his torso rising and falling slowly with each breath. The few holes in his body that were visible had healed shut, the many bruises that riddled his face and torso fading slightly, though some remained in a dark blue tone. She could see nothing from the waist down due to the blanket that enveloped him, but she did not need to see his lower body to know that they were bandaged just as much.

Tears formed and fell at the sight of him. Her trembling hand reached forth and caressed his jawline. A small smile formed on her lips once she felt the vibration under his skin, the soothing sound of his kikaichu filling her ears.

Hinata sniffled, her hand grasping his, her other continuing her caresses, careful not to touch any of the tubes, nor the bandages, nor the wounds.

_Hinata... _she heard his kikaichu murmur.

* * *

><p>Shino could feel something fluttering against his skin. At first, he dismissed it, thinking it to be the moving of his kikaichu. Then, it happened again, bringing him out of another hallucination. He was conscious now, the delicious feel of a smooth caress against his jaw soothing him, but not to the point where he could drift off again.<p>

The caress fluttered against his skin like a frightened butterfly. He couldn't remember how long ago, his Hyuuga had caressed him the same way. Shino indulged in the bittersweet administration.

He deeply hoped she was alright. If only he could receive some kind of sign that let his exhausted mind know she and his family were alright.

Then, as if his string of bad luck had suddenly ended, he heard the faint murmur of his kikaichu, and his heart stopped.

* * *

><p>"H-Hinata...?" Shino's voice rasped out.<p>

Hinata gasped, her caresses stopping as soon as they had began. Shiva's stone posture crumbled as she hurried to the kunoichi's side at the sound of Shino's voice. He made another pained noise as he attempted to move.

"Shino, no." Shiva stopped his movements. "You'll hurt yourself."

"Where..." he whispered, the energy to speak leaving him with a thousand pound weight on his chest.

"I'm here." Hinata soothed him, her hand tightening its hold on his own. "Shino, it's okay, I'm here."

Shino exhaled a shaky breath, then another and soon enough, more followed, relief filling every cell in his body. She was alive. She was safe.

"Hinata, we have to keep him calm." Shiva urged her, trying to keep him from moving. "The kikaichu are still very sensitive to his emotions. They could hurt him if he agitates himself."

"Shino." Hinata's hands were on him now, his body responding by relaxing, his breathing still frantic. "Shino, listen to me, okay?"

His breathing was more even now, his grasp turning into iron around her delicate hand.

"Shino, I'm okay, alright?" Hinata's voice crooned. "Shimuro, and the children, and your father, they're all okay. Everyone is safe."

Shino could feel his throat tighten, his breathing becoming ragged as he fought the urge to sit up and embrace her.

_Everyone's alright..._

"Now listen to me, Shino.." Hinata's voice was close now. He could smell her sweet breath against his now fevered skin. "You need to be calm, okay? You need time to heal, but they won't let me stay here with you if you don't keep yourself calm, alright?"

Heavens, she sounded like an angel.

"Will you do that for me, Shino?" she asked softly.

_I will do anything for you, my sweet..._

Shino could no longer find the strength to respond to her, and he was close to blacking out, but not before he did what she asked of him. His breathing calmed down, but he refused to let her hand go.

Hinata and Shiva sighed simultaneously once Shino had settled back down. Hinata clasped her other hand gently against Shino's, stroking his bandaged skin with her thumbs.

"Thank you, Shino..."she whispered, unable to hold back the tears of joy.

Shino breathed softly, feeling her soft, pillowy lips lean against his own, the darkness cradling him like a small child once more.

* * *

><p>Tsunade frowned at the Aburame woman once she had caught a glimpse of Hinata's form next to Shino's when she had opened the door.<p>

"Shiva." Tsunade began.

"I had a hunch." the Aburame woman responded, matching her steel tone. "Keeping him ignorant of his family and friend's well-being was what fueled his foul behavior."

Tsunade sighed. She noticed the Hyuuga heiress move the blanket a bit higher until it covered the bottom half of his torso. She lowered her voice. "How did he take it?"

Shiva smiled behind her upturned collar. "Better than expected."

Tsunade nodded. "Good."

They looked on to the two shinobi, the silence dragging on until Shiva broke it. "I know she can't stay here."

"She needs her rest just as he needs his." Tsunade replied. "From the looks of it, she's been neglecting it for far too long."

"Agreed."

Tsunade looked at the Aburame and smiled. "You seem to feel better as well."

Shiva hummed an agreement. "It makes me smile seeing those two together."

"Agreed." Tsunade's smile widened. "I guess I'll leave you to take her back to her room. Make sure she eats and rest."

Shiva nodded, seeing the green robe of the Godaimekage disappear from her peripheral vision. She approached Hinata and glanced at her as she traced the bandage lining on Shino's palm with her fingers.

"I don't want to leave, Shiva-san." Hinata murmured.

"I know, love," Shiva crooned, "but you need your rest as well. I will make sure that you, as well as Tsume's boy, get a chance to visit later on, when it's safer for him to receive more than one visitor. But I can't allow you in if you get sick."

Hinata nodded, resting her hands on Shino's own for a while before returning it to his side. She stood from the chair she sat in and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek.

_We'll keep him safe, Hinata-hime..._ whispered his kikaichu, making the Hyuuga smile sweetly.

"Thank you." she whispered back, and followed Shiva out the door, the heavy worry and frustration finally releasing its hold on her.

* * *

><p><strong>We have reached the light at the end of this feels tunnel! ;-; Don't worry, there's still more left to the story, but rest assured. It'll all be good moments from now on, or at least I hope to make them all good moments. Merry Christmas to all!<strong>


	22. Chapter 22

**I am a terrible person ;-; but at least I now have a bit of time to update! Enjoy!**

_"The surgery went much better than expected. Once he recovers from it, I'll give him his final evaluation. That'll determine whether he needs any more surgeries past the work on his nervous system. With plenty of rest and no strenuous activities, he'll make a complete recovery in the next three months, four at the most." _

* * *

><p>For the next month, Shino had made an immense amount of progress. Thanks to Tsunade's exceptional healing abilities and his kikaichu's cooperation, he could finally move around with little to no difficulty. However, he was still restricted from many strenuous activities. His damaged vision required him to have his eyes bandaged and obscured behind his trusty set of goggles at all times, and the fact that his nervous system was not at a hundred percent yet made things even harder to coordinate. Though Shibi reassured him that Tsunade was going to operate him as soon as he recuperated from his more serious wounds, Shino doubted he would ever be fully functional again, much less do the daily tasks of a shinobi. The thought soaked in a lot more than what it should have while he was stuck in the infirmary, and it bothered him, especially whenever his family and even his friends fawned over him as if he were some inexperienced, accident-prone child. Thankfully, he was allowed to be alone in his own room after he proved that he could move around without hurting himself, but even then, he was supervised at all times.<p>

Shino hated the constant attention, even though it was necessary to prevent further injury. It made him feel helpless, so much so that he practically snapped at anyone who attempted to smother him with unnecessary help. It got to the point where Shino locked himself in his room in order to avoid his family. That still did not stop his relatives' kikaichu from invading his room, but after a failed attempt to summon his own guard insects and various periods of exhaustion and painful vibrations from his protesting insects, he forced himself to ignore them. Instead, he made sure to seal all of the tiny nooks and crannies that the insects might go through. He hoped that some time away from the continuous flow of affection and worry would make him feel somewhat better, but to no avail. The more time he spent alone, the more he realized that at this point, he was nothing more than dead weight. He saw himself as a burden on his family, and the more he thought about it, the more depressed he became.

His fears and weaknesses were out in the open, and that alone made him angry. Yet he tried not to dwell on anger for long. It was impossible for him to dwell on any emotion at this point. First of all, he couldn't take it out on his family nor his friends. It was not their fault that he found himself in this situation, yet he couldn't take it out on himself either because his body and mind refused to let Suzumebachi's assault go unpunished. Secondly, it always exhausted him. Every time he agitated himself or became aggravated with what he could not do drained what little energy he had, which left him lying in bed until he passed out. Thirdly, the pain was nearly unbearable when he pushed himself. His kikaichu were still sensitive, and they made their protests clear when he muddled through anything that came close to irritation. He hated the intense pain it put him through, so instead of fixating himself on the notion that kept bothering him, he shut everything out altogether. Days turned to weeks as he ignored the pleas from his family and friends that begged him to come out or to at least talk things out. He just did not want company, much less talk out his problems.

Even when Tsunade stopped by to personally deliver his medication, Shino refused her passage. He made it clear with the way he barred the doors and the windows that he did not want to see anyone. He was mildly surprised when Tsunade opted not to barge in, even when she could easily break through his barricade, but in truth, he couldn't force himself to care.

He just wanted to be alone, to forget that the horrific event had ever happened, to make people forget they had ever seen him in such a state. But whenever he managed to doze off, every ounce of dread pushed itself to the forefront of his mind and deprived him of the peace he so feverishly craved.

* * *

><p>"What's happening to him?" Hinata asked Shibi.<p>

She had followed Shibi to the kitchen, where he began to pull a couple of dishes from the sink with his good arm. His kikaichu helped a good bit, carrying the dishes from his hand to the cabinets.

"Depression." Shibi responded tiredly. "He can't feel angry at anything or anyone because it causes him pain. He can't sleep because he doesn't want to remember anything. He doesn't want any help because it makes him feel weak. So, he does the next best thing." He moved over to open the curtains to the kitchen window. "He shuts down. Anything that makes him feel pain or anger, he forces himself to ignore until there's nothing left for him to put energy into."

Hinata stared as Shibi set himself down at the table. Almost mechanically, Hinata followed suit, watching him as he poured sencha tea in two small cups. She felt the guilt instantly slam into her the second he handed her the cup. Once her father and sister had been released from Tsunade's care, she left with them to administer the repairs and check the severity of her family's injuries. She had not been to the Aburame Manor since, but upon arriving, she did not expect something like this to happen.

"Shibi..." Hinata began.

Shibi motioned her to stop. "I know what you're going to say, Hinata. I don't want you to blame yourself for this. It's not your fault, and he knows this."

Hinata watched him take a sip of his tea. "Then...why is he doing this?"

Shibi set his cup down. "It's a little difficult to explain." he replied, "The reasons could vary from self-shame to just wanting to be alone. It's not easy coming to terms with a serious injury, especially when someone tells you that there's a high chance you won't ever be able to do what you've dedicated your entire life to. He's depressed, with good reason. Sometimes, people who are depressed just don't feel like explaining what's making them feel the way they feel because half of the time, they don't even know what's wrong."

He sipped his tea again and poured himself another cup. "It's hard for us to let our emotions run so freely when we've been taught our entire lives to keep them locked away... But, if you want my honest opinion, I think it's because too many of us are trying to strangle him with too much supervision."

He looked past Hinata to see Shiva's silhouette hurry up the stairs. Hinata followed his gaze.

"Shiva-san?" she asked.

Shibi nodded. "Shiva has always been attached to Shino, even when she had her own son to look after. Shino and Muta were not that far apart in age, so whenever we could come together, she would always treat him as her own. Not that that's a bad thing, but the problem is that she worries a bit too much, especially over her family's well-being. She either shows too much affection or not nearly enough, and now that Muta is gone, Shino's the only one that seems to make her worry the most. And after what had happened to Shino?" He shook his head, "That poor woman's going to end up giving herself an aneurysm over that boy."

"Who can blame her?" Hinata murmured.

Shibi hummed an agreement. Hinata sighed as she looked down at her empty cup. She had not seen him in a month, and already she could tell what was going on with him. He had been on the verge of losing his life, and if that was not enough to set someone on edge, then surely the news that the fate of what you've worked to achieve for your entire life hung in the balance with pretty awful chances could do the trick, and Shino had gone through both simultaneously. She was sure she could get him to at least open up about it, and though the thought of it scared her more than what it should have, she was determined.

"Is there any way I can speak to Shino?" she spoke softly.

Shibi poured some more tea in his cup. "You can give it a try." he stated simply. "I'm sure you have a far better chance of getting him out of that room than any of us do."

Hinata smiled softly. "Th-thank you." she bowed her head and rose to her feet.

She hurried towards Shino's room, careful not to stand a little too straight for any passerby to notice her. When she got there, she saw Shiva with her ear pressed to the door. She was dressed casually with a black tank top and some khaki cargo shorts with her unusually colored eyegear. The Aburame woman was nervously nibbling on her lower lip, as if hoping her nephew would overcome whatever was ailing him and open the door. Before Hinata could draw attention to herself, Shiva spoke, "Oh, Good! You're finally here!"

Her voice sounded as if Hinata's presence had uplifted her spirit with cheer. She approached her and held her hand, a hopeful smile spreading over her face. Hinata could not help but smile back, returning the gesture. An awkward pause loomed over them until Shiva hesitantly embraced her.

"How have you been? All better?" she asked.

Hinata nodded. "M-much better, thank you."

"Good, good. And your family? They must be well by now, yes?"

Hinata nodded again. Shiva exhaled softly.

"My, what a relief." she spoke.

Hinata smiled. "Is everyone alright here as well?"

It took her a bit longer to reply, but finally, she exhaled softly. "Yeah. Shimuro can finally move around. I'm sure you've seen Shibi. His arm's still got some time before the cast can come off along with the sling, but he's in good spirits. The kids are back to their usual. Shino..."

Shiva hesitated and looked back at the closed door. Hinata saw her body go back to its formal rigidness.

"He's alright." she sighed. "As you can see, he's allowed to be back in his room now. The open sores are completely shut now, but they still need time to heal. The last time I saw him, he was making progress with walking on his own."

Hinata nodded. "At least that's a good thing...right?"

"Of course!" Shiva relaxed. "I just wish he would come out of there..."

"Oh, he has!"

Hinata and Shiva turned to see the triplets and their elder brother coming up the stairs. They were examining the insects they had caught in small jars, yet once their eyes caught sight of Hinata, the specimen inside the jars had lost their interest. They cried out her name in glee as they rushed towards her and hugged her legs. Hinata smiled as she comfortingly patted their heads.

"Shino is not in his room?" Shiva's voice was torn between happiness and worry.

"No." spoke Makuro. "We saw him sitting outside in the meadow behind the manor."

Hinata sighed with relief. However, one good look at Shiva told her she was not happy. She looked absolutely horrified at the news, her mouth twisted in panic.

**_"Outside!?" _**she almost screamed.

* * *

><p>Shino sat under the magnolia tree, thankful for the constant breeze that gently brushed past him. He needed the fresh air. After being locked inside his room for weeks on end, the air began to suffocate him. He certainly didn't want to use the door, so the only other option was the window. It was a miracle that nobody had noticed him climb out of his bedroom and walk to the garden. He was half expecting to fall flat on his face or for someone to see him and throw him back into the infirmary. Thankfully, neither happened, thus allowing him to reach the garden before his limbs began to throb. Much to his dismay, he found that all of his younger cousins were out in the garden looking for insects. Shino attempted to avoid them, but with exhaustion quickly gnawing at him and the commotion drawing nearer, he gave up and allowed the children to flock over him and barrage him with questions, a lot of which remained unanswered.<p>

They had helped him sit down, but once they were ready to set off to fetch his father, Shino had told them a little too harshly to let him be.

"I just want to be by myself for a little while, okay?" he explained to them softly.

Shino felt relieved when they did not question him further. Once the children trailed off, he basked in the peace and quiet that washed over him. He gently rubbed his bandaged forearm, soothing the ache until it lessened to a small sting. Sighing, he leaned his back against the tree. Though he could not see, he could tell just by the underlying chill in the afternoon breeze that it was a very bleak day.

He allowed himself to relax by listening to the gentle rustling of the leaves against the wind and the occasional chirp of a bird, but even then, his mind was on overdrive. It had been almost a month that he had not heard of Hinata. Just the thought of her name made him feel the empty void reopen inside his chest. After thinking over what had happened in the last month, he couldn't blame Hinata for not stopping by. She had her own matters to tend to, and even if she had stopped by, he would have never heard of it due to the fact that he shut everything and everyone out.

He winced slightly when his kikaichu's vibrations intensified.

'_Shino-san, please stop doing this to yourself...' _they spoke to him.

Shino remained silent. He rubbed the soreness out of his side as his breathing evened out. At this very moment, he could not deal with anyone speaking to him, much less his own insects. He found it pointless to have them tell him something he already knew. He knew that it was bad for him to keep things bottled up. The problem was that he just couldn't force himself to talk to anyone. He had absolutely no mental nor emotional energy to go through with a full conversation with his family, even though that was obviously the best thing for him to do.

'_I know I'm being selfish... Forgive me.' _Even relaying the message back to his insects drained him. _'I'm fine... I promise. I just... need time, that's all.'_

It wasn't a complete lie. The kikaichu knew their master needed time above everything else to recuperate from his internal wounds. Shino was glad when they did not press him any further, opting to soothe him as best as they could and continue with their work instead. The breeze was continuous, bringing him a comfort that finally allowed him to fully relax until he was able to doze off.

* * *

><p>Hinata exhaled in relief once she was able to push past the commotion inside the house. Once the children had informed them that Shino had managed to get out of his room and into the garden, Shiva completely lost it. The last thing she saw before she left through the back door was Shibi and Shimuro trying to calm her down.<p>

"What are you doing?! Let me go!" Shiva struggled against her two brothers. "Is he out of his ever-loving mind!?"

There was no doubt in Hinata's mind that the ruckus was probably going to attract more attention than what was necessary.

She finally spotted Shino sitting under a magnolia tree. Upon closer inspection, he looked better. Many of the bruises over his face were yellowing and disappearing, but others had not gotten past a light blue. He was not as heavily bandaged as before, giving her a view of the healed sores that were merely red spots now. He looked peaceful, yet she could tell he was beyond exhausted. He was much paler than usual, and the way his body slimmed told Hinata that he had not eaten much since the last time she had seen him. Tears welled up in her eyes as she finally sat down next to him. Had Shino been at his peak of health, he would have seen her and greeted her accordingly as she walked up to him.

Instead, he just sat there. The only movement he made was the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. He barely flinched when she called his name. It was not until she had come face to face with him that he responded. His head angled up, and from that angle, Hinata could see his eyes bandaged behind his set of sunglasses.

"Hinata?" Shino whispered.

Her lip quivered as her tears began to fall. His voice was raspy and exhausted, almost a whisper in avoidance of putting too much effort into speaking. She sat next to him and though talking to him was what she had come to do, the ability to do so had suddenly escaped her. Instead, he cupped her hands over his palm and held it, trying to mentally steady herself before she could speak.

Relief poured into every single orifice as Shino felt her small hands wrap themselves around his own. The walls he had rushed to erect over himself were finally crumbling to the point where he could just barely control his shaking. He became a bundle of nerves as he tried to steady his breathing. Hinata rubbed his back.

"Please don't stress yourself." Hinata soothed him.

He nodded, trying his best to take a breath before relaxing into her administrations. A silent moment passed before Hinata forced herself to break it.

"I know you're upset with yourself." she began. "I know you feel that you didn't protect us. I... I understand how you feel, Shino.. And.." she nervously stroked his palm. "And I'm here to tell you you shouldn't be so hard on yourself... We're alright. We're all okay now."

Shino nodded. "I know... Hinata."

She nibbled on her lip. "Then...why do you keep doing this to yourself?"

Shino remained silent for a moment before his hand closed over her smaller ones. "I almost lost you and everyone I hold dear to me, Hinata." he almost whispered, the exhaustion from the engagement pricking at him. "And now... Now everything I've worked so hard to achieve...to put forth to my future as a shinobi...it will no longer exist. Everything I've been brought up to be...my very own existence has a high probability of being useless.. I just." his breath quivered. "I can't bring forth the effort to hope anymore... I just can't."

Hinata held his hands and moved closer to him. She hesitated for a moment, the nervousness threatening to show, but she pushed it aside.

"Do you... remember when Lee received the news that he would never be able to be a shinobi ever again?" she asked.

The silence greeted her, and after a moment, Shino nodded. Her courage strengthened.

"Do you remember how Lady Tsunade did not rest until she was able to make him better?"

He nodded again and rested his head on the trunk of the tree before slowly turning to face her. Hinata smiled and placed her hand on his cheek, stroking it with her thumb.

"Shino... Lady Tsunade's not going to give up on a fellow shinobi... At least not until every method she's tried has failed, maybe not even after that... And maybe.. Maybe you shouldn't give up on yourself either. I know it's hard, Shino... You of all people know that I've dealt with self-loathing for...for years. Sometimes.. I feel that I will probably never reach the light at the end of the tunnel, but when you work for it... when you keep believing in yourself... the distance between you and the light seems shorter and..and easier." She smiled when he held her hand close to him. "I believe Lady Tsunade can help you, Shino..but you need to have faith. Have faith in yourself and in her healing abilities and... and I know everything will be okay."

He embraced her then, and she returned it without any hesitation. Shino still couldn't shake off the feeling of helplessness, but it somehow felt lighter than before. For once he felt true relief, and he savored it as it seeped through him. Having faith was suddenly seeming easier.


	23. Chapter 23

**I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you guys for waiting so long, and I know that I've been apologizing a lot for it, but I really am sorry. It seems that the only way to actually write or have time anymore is if I'm at a friend's house (I haven't had internet for months) or when I'm on school breaks, which will be shorter than usual since I have a job. But rest assured, this story doesn't have long to go, but I'll also try my best not to rush the ending because I personally hate a rush job myself. Anywho, here's the next chapter.**

* * *

><p><em>"Get ready to prep him for the final surgery." Tsunade's voice resonated through the room of medical nin. "Make sure he is as comfortable as possible, and please relieve yourselves beforehand. We will be working on him for at least ten hours."<em>

Shino fiddled with his hands, turning them this way and that in a nervous habit he had developed while waiting in what seemed to be a dimly lit room. The day he had been excited, yet fearful of finally came, and it had swept through everything around him almost immediately. He could feel people buzzing around outside the room's door in preparations for the operation, but even though he was already set on the bed and as comfortable as anyone could have made him, the commotion going on outside only made his nervous fidgeting worse.

His head perked up slightly at the sound of the opening door, his heart plummeting to the pit of his stomach.

"Hey Shino." came a familiar voice, and suddenly, Shino exhaled in relief.

Kiba smirked. It sort of amused him at how Shino, the leader of his squad and the one least likely to be affected by anything, was completely reduced to a nervous, fidgeting mess. It was as if an old, sibling-rivalry feud was finally put to rest, and when Kiba felt it was enough amusement to satisfy the unknown quarrel, he grew concerned.

"Hey, Kiba." was Shino's reply.

He winced at how worn down and exhausted he sounded. Slowly, he sat next to him.

"Are you excited?" Kiba asked.

Shino scoffed. "Excited is not the word that comes to mind."

Kiba chuckled. "Yeah, I can believe that."

Shino smiled. "I suppose that... In view of the circumstances, 'getting it over with' is more the term I'm looking for."

"Oh, no doubt about that, man." Kiba returned the smile. "But, you're feeling a bit better, though. Right?"

Shino hesitated for a moment and nodded.

Kiba frowned. From what he had heard, he had completely isolated himself from his family until Hinata happened to have a small window of free time to come and talk to him. Yet, he could feel that though the two had spoken before this moment, whatever was keeping Shino wired with worry was not put to rest. There was something definitely bothering him, but as usual, Shino kept it to himself. And, as usual, Kiba felt the impending urge to pry.

"Something's bothering you." he stated.

"What makes you say that?"

Kiba pursed his lip. "Something has to be wrong if you're this tense. I know you're uptight for a whole bunch of things, but not _that _big of a stick in the mud. What's wrong?"

"I have no idea what you're going on about, Kiba."

"Shino."

Shino frowned, his head remaining downcast. His nervous fidgeting began again.

"Are you scared?" Kiba asked.

"You have no idea." Shino instantly replied.

Kiba smiled and laughed. "Well, it's a good thing that Tsunade's personally going to have a hand at it. She knows what she's doing. Besides, it's not like you'll be alone. We're all here for you."

"Yeah, I suppose so." Shino almost stammered. "I suppose...I'm just worried about how it would affect me later on."

Kiba gently placed a hand on Shino's back. "Don't worry about that, man. Look, you will get through this, and you'll be better than ever before, and you and Hinata will have some lovey-dovey wedding thing and have little weirdo babies and I'll be the uncle that steals the love of all of them and spoil them, and all that gooey stuff, alright?"

Shino chuckled light-heartedly. Kiba smiled.

"Everything's gonna be okay, Shino. I doubt anyone would be working as hard as they are if they didn't think that. I know damn well that none of our friends would have put their shinobi tasks to the side if they didn't think you weren't gonna make it. Shit, if Lee made it through that bone operation that everyone said could not be done, then you can breeze through this."

Shino smiled and remained in his thoughts for a moment.

"Everyone's...here?"

Kiba nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. Even Hinata's family showed up." He chuckled, "Tsunade went berserk, especially when they were completely set on staying until the surgery's done with. But after she realized that nothing she or Shizune said were going to make them leave, she just kinda backed off."

Shino sat silently while he tried to grasp the concept that all of his friends and especially his family were all so hopeful that he would get better when he was not. He clenched his fists tightly, his head bowed as the bandages covering his eyes were quickly stained with tears.

"Thanks, Kiba." Shino spoke softly. "For everything."

Kiba patted his back softly. "Like I said, don't worry about it, okay? And don't set off the waterworks on me, either, alright? "

Shino smiled. "Yeah."

Kiba looked up when the door opened and Shizune stepped in. She gave them both a kind smile as she stepped aside to let the medical shinobi through.

"We're ready to start, Shino." She spoke softly.

His nerves suddenly seized as he gulped softly. Kiba lightly punched his shoulder.

"You'll be okay, man. Trust me." Kiba reassured him again.

He stood and walked towards the door.

"See you soon."

* * *

><p>"Are you certain of this, Shiba-san?" Hinata asked, her eyes wide with shock.<p>

Shiba nodded, bouncing slightly with the tips of her toes. She clasped her hands together, the excitement radiating from her smile.

"I know my instincts very well, Hinata, dear! You'll be a mother soon!"

Hinata stared at Shino's aunt, still too shocked to speak. "How...?" she managed to say.

Shiba stopped her upbeat bouncing and planted her palms on her hips. "What do you mean, how?" she joked. "What do you think causes a baby when two love bugs are joined and fly together?"

Hinata's face blazed red. "N-no! I meant...How...How far along am I?"

Shiba straightened. "Oh! That's what you meant..." she chuckled. "Let me see..."

Hinata twiddled with her fingers while Shiba knelt down and pressed her ear to her stomach.

"Hm.. I'd say you're about to finish your first month." Shiba spoke after a while.

"Really?" Hinata replied.

Shiba stood and nodded. Her excitement returned as she began to pace. "Oh my Goodness, this is just wonderful news! That's definitely something that will brighten Shino's day! Oh, I have to tell Shibi and Shimuro! I have to let them know! The work to accommodate you and Shino's new family has to begin soon if we want to be done before the baby arrives! Not to mention the baby shower, and the decorations, and-"

Hinata stopped Shiba's pacing and placed her hands on her shoulders. "N-no!"

Shiba stared. Hinata gulped as her eyes darted around Shiba's barely visible facial features.

"I.. I want Shino to be the first one to know." she said softly.

Shiba smiled. "I see."

"Please, Shiba-san." Hinata begged. "Promise you won't tell anyone anything. Not until I've told Shino."

Shiba pouted. "Not even a little hint?"

Hinata gave her a look. The thirty-something Aburame pouted again.

"Alright, alright. I give you my word." She crossed her arms. "But don't expect it to have any sticking power after tomorrow. If he doesn't know, at least by tomorrow evening, then I'll tell him myself."

Hinata sighed in relief. "He'll know as soon as he's rested."

Shiba smiled, then retreated into her thoughts. She tapped her lip with her finger for a moment and then looked at Hinata. "Does your father know?"

Hinata suddenly paled.

Shiba raised her eyebrows. "Ah. I see. Hmm...That's quite the situation, indeed, love."

For a moment, she was still. Hinata's posture slouched as her body leaned shakily against the wall. Her hands rested against her stomach as her eyes remained downcast for a moment. Nervousness paralyzed her as it scrambled her thoughts about breaking the news to her father and the rest of her family. What would he say if he knew? More importantly, what would he do? Just thinking of what the news could bring down upon her made her queasy.

"I could never tell him." she spoke with defeat.

Shiba placed her hand on her shoulder and embraced her. Stunned, Hinata returned the embrace.

"Hinata, I know that your father's a rough man to deal with." Shiba began, "But believe me when I say that he will never do anything to harm you or your unborn child. I'm sure he'll be overjoyed to hear the news you have for him."

Tears welled in her eyes as she smiled. "Thank you, Shiba-san."

Shiba returned the smile and hugged her tightly. "Now, be confident and go tell your father the good news! This is something to be happy, and something you should be proud of!"

* * *

><p>The hours were slow. Agonizingly slow. And with every hour that passed, the common area filled with people trying to escape the monotonous tick-tock of the grandfather clock in the medical wing waiting hall. Soon enough, a myriad of random activities took place, from reparations to the stairway to socializing in the kitchen. It was nice seeing everyone help each other by keeping themselves busy, but it was not helping Hinata in the least bit. With each passing minute, Hiashi and Hanabi involved themselves in the random tasks, which only made it even harder to casually drag them to a more private area. Finally, Hinata managed to isolate Hiashi and Hanabi from the crowd and now sat with them in the garden.<p>

"Hinata, you're worrying me." Hiashi spoke after a moment. "Is there something wrong?"

Hinata blinked. Come to think of it, she had ushered them out of the manor pretty quickly. A little too quickly for a casual conversation. Blushing in embarrassment, her eyes fixed themselves on her knees.

"I, uhm... I have some news." Her throat went dry.

She gulped and looked up, seeing her father and her younger sister looking back at her with concern, yet awaiting to hear the 'news'. Hinata's eyes darted frantically, cold sweat forming on her brow. Her hands trembled until she forced them closed and placed them on her knees. Her anxiety spiked through the roof until her mind short-circuited.

"I'm pregnant!" she blurted loudly.

Her eyes closed shut and for a moment, all she heard was her pounding heart and the blood thundering through her veins. As she tried to control her breathing, her eyes slowly opened to see her father and her sister, shock clearly written in their faces.

"Are you sure?" Hanabi struggled to say.

Hinata's eyes were fixed on Hiashi, who's expression had not changed. "I am." she almost whispered.

Hanabi's face lit up as she stood and hugged her sister and laughed when Hinata returned the gesture. "I am so happy for you!" she beamed.

"Yes." Hiashi spoke softly. "Yes, we are."

The two Hyuugas turned to him. Hinata gasped softly, her eyes growing wide. Instead of the cold, expressionless face Hinata had expected, Hiashi gave her a tender smile. His eyes beamed over her, glistening with unshed tears.

"Father?" Hinata asked.

His smile deepened as he walked over to her and embraced her.

"Nothing I could ever say can explain how happy I am, Hinata." He spoke softly and pulled away gently to look at his eldest daughter, "I.."

He sighed softly. "I am sorry.. For everything I've unnecessarily put you through, Hinata."

"Father." She said, tears falling from her eyes.

He hushed her and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. "You're a woman, now. And as much as I've tried to keep you from it, you are free to do as you choose. I trust that you have good judgment and will never stray from doing what you know to be right." He hesitated for a moment, and that was when Hinata realized that the emotion he had in his eyes was fear.

Fear of the unknown, of the future. He was afraid of what childbirth could and could not do for her. After all, he had seen how badly childbirth could turn out to be, but Hiashi knew that despite the circumstances of Hinata's many trials, she was a strong shinobi, and a strong woman. He stroked the last of Hinata's tears away and angled her face upwards to look into her eyes. He was afraid. It was true. But he was at peace.

"I know you will now have a family of your own, Hinata. By no means will I object to it... Shino is a fine man to have as a husband." he looked down briefly, "I don't want to make you feel that my presence is what keeps you from coming home every once in a while. I... I want the rest of the clan to be able to see your child grow. More importantly, I want to be part of my grandchild's life. I just hope that... that it's not too late for you to forgive me."

Hinata's chest rocked gently with sobs as she hugged her father. "I would never be able to keep you from him, father... Or her." she sobbed.

Hiashi hugged Hinata as tightly as he could, his tears staining the collar of her shirt. With a longing gesture, Hiashi motioned for Hanabi to come closer, and without hesitation, Hanabi rushed in and joined their embrace.

* * *

><p>"How do you feel, Shino?" Tsunade asked.<p>

"Sore." was all Shino could reply.

Tsunade chuckled. The surgery was a success, thanks to all of the hands she had helping her. After almost twelve hours, she was able to completely restore his vision, and after a day, Shino was finally able to sit up on his own. He still needed to keep his bandages over his eyes to keep himself from straining them, and though he was still sore from his previous surgery, Tsunade had no doubt in her mind that the work she had done to heal his eyesight would be easy to recover from.

"Yes, that's expected after two surgeries almost back to back." Tsunade replied. "Not to worry. Your nervous system is almost at a ninety-five percent, compared to the fifty-percent after the first surgery. Even better, your eyesight had already started healing on its own. We just strengthened and sped up the process with the addition of a few minor things that could not have been healed by your body alone."

Tsunade watched his body unwind and smiled. "Don't worry. If your body and your insects keep it up, and you stop making over strenuous excursions and rest," she smirked when Shino flinched, "You'll make a complete recovery in another two months. Keep disobeying me and refuse to take your medicine at the exact time I tell you to take it, and it will take anywhere between six months to a full year before you will be able to leave your house. The choice is really up to you."

Shino sighed and nodded.

"Good." Tsunade smiled triumphantly. "That being said, everyone else is very excited to see you, and though I know it's better for you if they wait until you're well-rested, but in this case, I'll make an exception."

Shino heard the sound of her heels as she approached the door and smiled. "Lady Tsunade?"

She turned. "Hm?"

He hesitated. "Thank you. For everything."

Tsunade smiled. "Don't mention it, Shino."

She opened the door and smiled as Hinata walked in. She thanked her, and as soon as the door closed, Hinata approached the bed.

"Hi, Shino." she spoke softly.

He slightly shivered at the sound of her voice. "Hi."

Hinata sat next to him on the bed and placed her hand over his own. "Are you alright?" she asked.

He nodded momentarily. "Yeah. Just a bit sore, is all."

Hinata smiled. "I'm glad, Shino."

Tsunade was truly a miracle worker. Already Shino looked ten times better than the last time Hinata had seen him. The bruises all over his body were at their yellowing stages, which was good save for the fact that he looked sicker than what he was. Hinata wrapped her hands around his own and smiled at the soothing hums that came from under his skin. She snapped to attention when he grunted. He chuckled breathlessly.

"It..still hurts a bit." he stated.

Hinata released his hand. "Sorry!"

Shino smiled. "No, no. It's fine."

They sat in silence for a moment. Shino couldn't see her, but he didn't think he needed to. Her presence was there and really, it was all he needed for comfort. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't completely alone. He could feel the faint presence of someone else. At first, he dismissed it. His senses were still not at his peak, which left him more prone to make simple mistakes. But after a while, it started to bother him. He knew something, or rather someone, was there with them, but he could not hear, nor see, nor smell any difference in the atmosphere. Out of normality, he tensed.

"Shino?" Hinata had noticed his shoulders rise with tension. "Is something wrong?"

"Are we alone?" he asked softly.

Hinata looked around. "Um, yes? Why?"

"I...I don't know." He tried to relax. "I keep getting this feeling we're not the only ones in this room."

Hinata activated her Byakugan and looked around. "There's no one else here except us, Shino." she said as she deactivated it.

He relaxed. "Sorry." he said after a while. "My system is still elsewhere."

Hinata smiled. "Shino, don't apologize." she patted his hand. "You've only rested for less than twenty four hours after a surgery."

He nodded slowly. "I know." he hesitated as he held her hand. "I just can't seem to shake away the feeling that there's someone else here with us."

Hinata looked at him as he sat in thought. "What is it that you feel, Shino?"

He sighed. "I.. I don't know." he raised his head as if he were to look at her. "It's...faint. Small, even."

Hinata quirked a brow. "It's not bad, is it?"

"No." Shino responded. "At least, it doesn't feel like it is."

Hinata stared at him with a faint blush. "Um.. Shino?"

"Yes?"

"T-there's something I need to tell you."


End file.
